


Growing Pains

by AceTrainerAlicia



Series: The Adventures of Jaina: A Faith Renewed [13]
Category: Runescape
Genre: Also a griffin, F/M, Mood Swings, Pet Shenanigans, Pregnancy, questfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7631218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerAlicia/pseuds/AceTrainerAlicia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amid preparations for the little ones on the way, the World Guardian suddenly finds herself wrapped up in the matter of restoring Seren. But what is the elven goddess going to be like after so many years of physical and mental fracture–and how is she going to react to the babies?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“There are those who might tell me it’s too early for all of this,” she mused, carefully rounding out the curves of the half-carved wooden circle in her hands. “I hardly think so—there’s a lot to prepare, and the sooner I do it, the better! I want everything to be as ready for you as I can manage…”

She had taken to talking to her babies lately, at least when no one was around to hear her. Though she wasn’t sure if they could hear her yet, she couldn’t help herself regardless; when she awoke she would greet them and wish them good morning, and when she retired she would wish them sweet dreams and blow two good-night kisses to her stomach. And now, as she prepared what would be their room, she had been talking to them near endlessly while she worked.

How much longer would it be before she could no longer hide her pregnancy? Jaina didn’t know for sure, but she was starting to show, and nearly all her skirts and dresses were getting too tight. Should she wear loose robes and try to hide it as long as possible? What should she say if and when her neighbors found out?

The sound of something toppling over snapped Jaina to attention, and she spun around towards the noise. Something had knocked over the set of blocks that was currently the only toy for the toy box so far—to her surprise, she saw Tiny Hazeel crawl forth from the pile of blocks and begin stacking them in the center of the floor. What would he even want up here? Unlike Tiny Lucien, Tiny Hazeel tended to keep to himself, to the point that Jaina sometimes forgot he had even followed her home at all…

“What are you doing?” she wondered aloud.

“Hmph.” The horned doll didn’t turn, and simply continued to place blocks. “I am setting up a two-foot-high ritual stone and preparing the rest of the tiny ritual site.”

Jaina blinked in confusion. “How are you going to have a ritual with only two tiny Mahjarrat?”

“My only concern for the moment is making it ready,” Tiny Hazeel said flatly, straightening a block on the bottom of his small tower that was slightly askew.

Jaina couldn’t help but half-smile at the sight of him strutting around carrying the blocks. “You do realize that those are for my babies to play with?”

Tiny Hazeel was arranging the blocks in a circle around his little tower, one by one. “It matters not. Soon you will all cower at the name of Tiny Hazeel—”

“You dare proclaim yourself greater than a god?” Tiny Lucien strode in indignantly, his hands on his hips. “Human, my throne has not been cleaned for two and a half weeks! What are you doing spending all your time in this useless room, leaving me to sit on your disgusting hair?”

“I do believe everyone here knows what this room is for,” said Jaina, only half addressing him as she set down the fully-carved wooden symbol of Zaros with the other mobile pieces she’d been carving. “Just listen to that silly little doll, little ones! He’s already forgotten that you’re coming! Well, you’ll be able to play with him one day!”

“You dare replace a god?” Tiny Lucien demanded, shaking his tiny staff. “The only tiny Mahjarrat this place needs is me!”

“On the contrary,” Tiny Hazeel shot back, “I am the superior tiny Mahjarrat. I at least have found a better throne than a silly hairbrush, and I at least manage not to get caught by that lava creature all the time.”

Tiny Lucien crossed his arms and stomped his foot. “You won’t be saying that when I finally manage to summon and command him at will to do my bidding!”

As the dolls continued arguing, Jaina merely listened, unable to hide her amusement as she painted the mobile pieces, making each shape a different color. Already she was imagining her children dressing them up with pink ribbons, frills, and lace—would Mahjarrat children be inclined to play dress-up with dolls or otherwise? Or would they prefer roughhousing, the way little human boys seemed to?

She made a mental note to ask Azzanadra about the sort of childhood games a young Mahjarrat might like as she climbed on a stool to string up the newly finished mobile. “You’ll like watching this spin,” she remarked, double-checking to ensure it was secure. “Of course, you still need a place to sleep, but I’m not sure if we need two cribs, or if one will do for the both of you…”

Well, at least she knew where it would be placed, and she had time to consider. She got down from the stool and sat down to check the list of what was still needed. There was still quite a bit to go—crib, clothes, the diapers that still needed to be delivered, toys, a suitable place to give birth…

Of course, that was extremely important! It might be awhile before that happened, but if her neighbors or any other Saradominists were to be present for the birth, they would almost certainly be shocked and immediately take the babies away—or worse!—when they saw they weren’t fully human… Jaina cradled her stomach protectively, shuddering at the thought. Giving birth alone in her bedroom was too risky; even having fully human twins would be more difficult and prone to complications than having a single baby, and she had no idea what sort of complications might arise with half-Mahjarrat. She would have to make arrangements in advance for somewhere she could both be properly aided and have the twins be safe and well cared for.

TzRek-Jad chose that moment to saunter in, and Tiny Hazeel quickly leapt into the block pile and buried himself beneath them. The little lava beast blinked curiously and looked around the room as he cutely lumbered up to Jaina.

“Human pet, you have grown larger,” he remarked, rubbing against her leg. “Might it be because you are eating much more now, or has your power grown?”

“I already told you, I’m having a baby,” Jaina pointed out. “Two babies, actually—they’ll be here in… six more months, I believe?”

Did Mahjarrat pregnancies last longer or shorter than human ones? Azzanadra hadn’t mentioned anything like that, and Wahisietel hadn’t either any of the times he had advised her so far. Jaina suspected it would be safe to assume that the difference, if there was one, wasn’t likely to be significant.

“Small humans? You have an egg?” TzRek-Jad tilted his head and nudged her stomach with his nose. “Why did you swallow your egg? Is there lava in your belly to keep it warm while it grows?”

Jaina laughed and smiled awkwardly. “Well, it’s very warm in there, and they need that warmth. They’re, ah, going to grow inside me until they’re big enough to come out…”

TzRek-Jad blinked, tilting his head. “Really? I thought humans were cold on the inside… but if you have lava in your belly, your egg will always stay warm enough!”

He snapped to attention as he spotted Tiny Lucien. “There you are, Other Mr. Squeekles!”

“No! Not again!” Immediately Tiny Lucien dashed out the door as fast as his tiny legs would carry him, and TzRek-Jad barreled after him in hot pursuit.

Jaina couldn’t help but giggle as she watched them go, and she looked down at her stomach. “You have no idea how satisfying it is to see things like that happen to that ridiculous doll… you know, I wonder how many tiny Mahjarrat I’ll find? Perhaps a tiny version of your father will follow me home someday? Maybe even just in time for your birth?”

Slowly she stood up, stretching her legs. “Well, that’s one thing we’ll just have to wait and see about…”

~***~

She’d never been one for the big city, with all its noises and crowds of people, but for once Jaina could appreciate it greatly. Here in Varrock, even a famous heroine could simply put on a cloak and remain incognito while browsing the shops for baby clothing—something that would be impossible in the close-knit communities like Lumbridge she was more used to. Her pink hooded cloak concealed her face and her changing figure, and for all the shop owners knew, she was just an ordinary mother-to-be interested in clothes for her baby.

So far she had only looked at the selections of baby clothing; part of the reason she hadn’t bought anything—or, for that matter, mail-ordered clothing from the Grand Exchange as she’d done with the diapers—was because she wasn’t sure how big the twins would be when they were born. Would they be larger than the average healthy full human baby? Would they be born with spines on their backs, like their father had? If she bought outfits that were too small now, it might be difficult to alter them as needed. Either way, the fabric had to be soft and comfortable; the expensive lacy white robes that the more upscale shops had prominently displayed would likely be dreadfully itchy.

After about an hour and a half of looking around, she still hadn’t decided to buy anything, but it wasn’t too much of a loss. At least this had been a welcome excuse to travel, and it gave her an excuse to drop by the temple as well.

“Come on, little ones, we’re going to see your father,” she murmured to her stomach as she made her way towards Varrock’s east gate. “I’ll bet he wants to know how you’re doing! He has a lot of important work to do, so we can’t see him every day…”

As she approached the gate, Jaina noticed a large throng heading into the museum, all talking loudly and excitedly at once. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she didn’t need to—as popular an attraction as the museum was, only a new acquisition would draw this kind of crowd.

Whatever this new thing everyone was coming to see was, she suspected it might have been found in the Senntisten ruins. Was it an ancient work of art—a painting, a statue, a tapestry? Was it a column from an ancient building or a piece of an aqueduct? Was it fully or mostly intact?

Drawing her cloak tighter around herself, Jaina slipped into the crowd and headed into the museum, making sure to keep the large, loose hood up and over her face. The constant loud chatter of the tourists was hard on her ears, but she steeled herself and followed the excited crowd as the curator directed them down the basement stairs.

There were too many people blocking the view for her to see the new display at first, and she had to wait her turn with the rest of the crowd before she could get close. Quietly she hummed a tune as she waited, in hopes that her babies might hear it over the noise of the crowd—and at last she was able to approach and see it.

A stone statue of a griffin stood there, a medallion bearing the symbol of Zaros around its neck, its wings spread wide as if taking off. The detail was impressive and intricate—its eyes were widened, as if in fear, its tail was standing sharply on end, and its feathers were textured enough that they almost seemed real.

“’Twas gatherin’ dust in the palace cellars,” the man who’d replaced Orlando Smith—whose name escaped her at the moment—was saying. “’is Majesty said somethin’ ‘bout th’ero Camorra findin’ it and bringin’ it to a previous king back in the Fourth Age. We don’t know ‘oo could’ve made it or where it could’ve come from, but it’s good t’ave around, ‘specially since y’don’t see real griffins come out much these days…”

Something didn’t seem quite right about this statue, though at first Jaina couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She looked it over closely, noticing again how realistic the feathers were—too realistic, in fact. A few even appeared to be loose, about to fall off! She remembered first finding Hannibus, how upon a closer look she’d noticed his scaly skin and rough clothes were too well textured for a mere statue…

Had this griffin, then, met a similar fate to Hannibus? How had the royal family come to forget it was in their possession? And how and when could Jaina set it free? She still had the scroll for the Animate Rock spell, but she would have to go get it, and using it now would frighten both the tourists and the poor griffin. Even at night, it would be difficult to leave without teleporting them both; someone in the city would be awake to notice a griffin flying out of the museum.

She stepped aside, making her way towards the stairs. “We need to think this one through,” she whispered to her stomach. “A very large flying creature needs my help, but we can’t be noticed on the way out! This will be a lesson on why you should think before you act…”

Night had fallen when Jaina returned to the museum, and she looked carefully to ensure no night-shift Digsite workers were there yet before proceeding. She cast Dream on the night watchman as his back was turned, waiting anxiously for him to fully fall asleep before she quietly stole down into the basement.

The large chamber was dark, and had an eerie quiet about it now that no one was there. Jaina held up her lantern and glanced around warily for anyone who might suddenly appear out of the darkness as she approached the griffin, the scroll in her other hand.

She shifted apprehensively, her hood falling down as she stepped back a bit. Would the griffin react to her with hostility once freed? Would it flee from her in fear? Would it go on a rampage that would wake up the entire east half of the city? Would she be able to communicate with it effectively?

Thinking it over, she decided that she would have to magically put it to sleep if it were hostile or unable to be calmed. Taking a deep breath, she silently prayed for the best and for Zaros to watch over her and the babies, and then chanted the spell on the scroll.

There was a bright flash, and the now very much alive griffin squawked and stretched, its tail twitching as it glanced around in confusion. Its silvery-white feathers shone softly in the faint lantern light, and some fell lightly to the floor.

Seeing Jaina, it squinted and leaned towards her, sniffing curiously in her direction. Then it perked up suddenly and gave a delighted chirp, wrapping a wing around her and pulling her in to happily nuzzle her cheek.

“Many thanks, friend!” The Infernal speech seemed to echo off the basement walls, and the sound of the griffin’s voice made it clear she was a female.

Jaina smiled shakily, hoping her rusty Infernal would get her by despite her atrocious pronunciation. “I had to help you,” she said, wringing her hands. “You… you trust me?”

The griffin nodded. “You smell like Azzanadra.”

Jaina felt her cheeks grow hot, realizing she hadn’t yet bathed this week. She wasn’t at all sure what to say to that!

“Name Coeli,” the griffin said, inclining her head in greeting. “Happy to see faithful!”

“I’m—” Jaina had to think to find the right words—“also pleased to meet you.” She curtsied politely and gestured towards herself. “Jaina.”

The griffin gave a cheerful squawk and nuzzled her again, patting her growing stomach with a wing. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, she stood bolt upright. “Musn’t stay here,” she squawked, her eyes darting around worriedly. “Not safe. We fly!”

She guided Jaina onto her back before the mage could react, causing her to give a startled yelp. It was at that moment Jaina realized she didn’t know the Infernal words for “stop” or “wait”—all she could do was hang on for dear life as the griffin rushed up the stairs and took flight from the museum’s outside steps.

As they flew over Varrock, the brisk wind blowing strands of her hair in her face, Jaina could see a few people coming out of their homes in their nightgowns and pajamas, staring up in surprise and wonder. Still more were poking their heads out of windows to gawk at the sight.

Well, there went any attempt at keeping this under wraps. Holding on tighter as they soared over the east gate, Jaina could only hope the king would simply be astonished that the statue he’d given to the museum had turned out to be a real griffin and move on to more important things—and that the guards on duty didn’t have crossbows.

The flight continued eastward and passed over the Digsite fence, and they were just above the ruins when Coeli came to a sudden stop in mid-flight, inadvertently causing Jaina to slip to one side and have to hold on tighter. The griffin’s sharp, anguished shriek split the air, seeming to reverberate around them.

Jaina struggled to climb back on, softly muttering “won’t let you fall, won’t let you fall” to her stomach—it was far easier said than done with both her hands in use, and Coeli seemed to be too distressed to notice her predicament as she hovered in place and stared at the ruins.

It wasn’t the longest way down she’d ever seen, but it sure felt like they were as high up as they would be on one of those floating Armadylean citadels in the sky—no, she shouldn’t fixate on what would happen if she fell, she should just not fall—wait, was that movement down below? Yes, someone was coming up the rope onto the surface… even in the darkness of the night, that feather-adorned hat and unruly beard were unmistakable.

“Coeli?!”

At the sound of her name, Coeli practically dove for the ground, and Jaina lost her grip and fell, crying out in alarm, as they neared the ground. She didn’t have a chance to fall very far before being caught bridal-style in a pair of strong arms.

Gasping for air, she shivered uncontrollably and quietly did her best to catch her breath as Azzanadra spoke to Coeli in Infernal too fast to make out much of. She ran a trembling hand along her stomach, hoping to comfort the babies—surely they must have been scared too. “Your father’s here now,” she murmured softly. “He helped us… thank the Great Lord he was here…”

“You must be more careful,” Azzanadra said sternly as he guided the shaking Jaina back onto her feet. “She is carrying our children! You know better than not to pay heed to your rider.”

Coeli nodded sadly and lowered her head. “I sorry… Not do that again…”

“I believe it.” Azzanadra’s gaze softened a bit, and he reached out to pet her head. “We must be cautious anyway—it has been many thousand years, and the world is not as we remembered it.”

Quickly he turned to Jaina, switching to the common tongue. “Jaina, are you alright? Coeli tells me you released her from petrification in a strange dungeon—where did you find her?”

“In the museum basement,” Jaina answered, hoping Coeli wouldn’t be too confused by her strange speech. “She was just moved there from the palace—I think it was yesterday or today, otherwise you would’ve surely heard of her being there. They mentioned a hero discovering her and bringing her to a past king in the Fourth Age, but I don’t know more than that.”

Coeli gave her a very puzzled look. “Not from Senntisten? Come from far away?”

“Not that far away,” Jaina replied. “My—” the word for “town” or “city” was escaping her at the moment, and she didn’t know the one for “birthplace”—“my home is south from here. I… I like to travel, and have been to many places!”

“I go many places too!” The griffin made a happy chirp. “I fly all around world, see many things! I show you world sometime!”

“Just me? What about Azzanadra?”

“Azzanadra heavy.” Coeli looked at him apologetically. “Busy all the time, too.”

She pointed a talon at Jaina’s growing stomach. “I help take care of them?”

Azzanadra nodded, embracing her feathered neck. “It is a blessing to have you back once more; of course you shall be a part of our children’s lives.”

The griffin nuzzled him and wrapped her wings around him, and Jaina smiled at the sight—and then it suddenly occurred to her why she had wanted to see Azzanadra as soon as possible.

She spoke up when Coeli released him from the hug, reverting to the common tongue. “Oh, speaking of which—I’m worried about finding a safe place where I can give birth. If any Saradominist were to see the children, they might…” She trailed off, not even wanting to think about the answer to that question.

Azzanadra looked pensive for a moment, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “I suspect, my dear, that we may already have a solution—a fairly simple one, to be precise!”

“Truly?” Jaina glanced down uncertainly at her hands. “This doesn’t seem simple at all…”

“On the contrary,” Azzanadra pointed out, “have you yet considered that the desert faithful will gladly offer you exactly what you require?”

“Oh!” Jaina straightened up, her cheeks flaring a bit red. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” She frowned, biting her lip. “But their resources might be limited… would they have potions or any of the proper things to treat anything that might go wrong?”

“They might not at present, but you could gradually supply them with the necessary resources in advance—which would also benefit any mothers-to-be they have. Furthermore, my brothers and I can always provide magical aid if needed! The God Wars forced us to become more proficient with our healing magics—I had developed a reputation for being as adept a healer as a fighter before my imprisonment.”

Shaking his head, he sighed and adjusted his hat. “It is also a fitting time to break the news to them. Shall we go to them tomorrow? You likely need your rest for now.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded slowly, drawing closer as she gazed up at him. “Yes, I do wonder how they’ve been faring anyway…”

“Then it’s settled. We will go at first light tomorrow morning—come with me.”

He lifted her up and over his shoulder with ease and said something to Coeli she didn’t quite catch. The griffin nodded and squawked a goodbye before taking to the skies once more.

~***~

She awakened to strong hands gently shaking her shoulders, and opened her eyes to see Azzanadra standing over her, already up and dressed and having resumed his true form. “It is time you got up, my dear, and got ready. The desert faithful will be excited to see us—and Coeli will be meeting us there, too.”

He guided her up and out of the bed, and she yawned and had to hold onto him for support at first. Slowly she stood up straighter on her own and smiled his way. “Oh, good morning—and good morning to you two as well!“ She patted her stomach, and then looked up at him again. “Do you have a hairbrush? I didn’t pack mine in my bag…”

“Indeed I do, actually—it turned out to be quite necessary for daily upkeep in my human form!” He handed her a large hairbrush and motioned towards an old mirror on the wall, its gilding mostly weathered away from age.

His private quarters didn’t have more than the essentials—bed, wardrobe, mirror, and washbasin—but it would do for now. Jaina was unusually quick to wash up and style her hair, and since she was still dressed, all she had to do was smooth out her top and skirt and get her bag. “Ready when you are,” she said, and slipped her hand into his.

Azzanadra teleported the both of them to the desert bandits’ camp, and almost immediately, excited cries filled the air as a group of local children dashed up to them—even the smallest ones were unfazed at his imposing, towering figure. Soon everyone in town had come out to greet them both, the men and women deeply bowing and curtsying before him—and Jaina noticed many of them were bowing to her as well.

“Really,” she said with a flustered smile, “you don’t have to be so formal with me…”

One of the bandits looked up at her, still bowing. “But it is only proper, m’lady! As the holy bride and the restorer of the Great Lord, you are more than worthy of our utmost respect!”

“Hewo wady,” a small boy of about four asked loudly as he pointed at her stomach, “how come woo got big?”

“Shhh, don’t be so rude!” his mother scolded. “My apologies…”

Jaina blushed a little and smiled at the boy and his mother. “Don’t worry about it! You see, actually—”

She stopped short as the crowd grew quiet and Eblis approached them, bowing politely. “Greetings, revered ones. What brings you personally to our town today, my lord? This is sudden indeed.”

“It is important to see how the faithful are faring,” Azzanadra said, “but that is not the sole reason for this visit.” Turning to the crowd, he smiled proudly. “We wished to bring you good news—it is about time you all heard it.”

Excited gasps arose from the people all at once, and Azzanadra had to urge them to quiet down with a wave of his hand before addressing them. “As you may have gathered from looking, Jaina is with child—two, to be precise! Never did I imagine I would become the father of twins… They will bring us all much joy in these troubled times!”

The people cheered loudly, their eyes lighting up, and Jaina felt many gazes fall on her and her stomach. Several people started to gather close to her, already firing off their burning questions in a heartbeat—too rapidly for her to catch most of them.

“How long have you known for?”

“Aren’t you excited? Twins… the Great Lord must truly smile upon you!”

“Have you had any difficulties yet? Hunger, morning sickness, fatigue?”

“Will you allow us to see the holy children up close, or hold them, when they are born?”

“We wanna pway with the holy babies!” Several small children had run up to her and were tugging on her skirt impatiently. “Can we pway? Pwetty pweeeeeease?”

“Do you mean now?” Jaina stepped back, sweat beading on her brow. She wasn’t sure why she felt this tense with everyone getting so near, though she suspected it might be a natural urge to protect the twins that was hard to control. “Ah… you’ll have to wait till they’re born first!”

“Buh… why?” The same boy who had spoken up earlier tilted his head, staring up at her in confusion. “Where dey now?”

His mother spoke up before Jaina could consider how best to answer him. “Just listen to her, dear.”

Azzanadra quickly gestured for the crowd to quiet down once more. “One question at a time, and do back up!” he exclaimed, lifting up the children in pairs and setting them down further away. “If you overwhelm her senses, you risk mistakenly upsetting her.”

The children looked down at their hands and quietly apologized, looking crestfallen. Jaina couldn’t help but feel a small pang of sadness as well, and she tried to blink away the small tears that were starting to well up.

“We would be happy to offer you whatever we can to assist with your pregnancy,” Eblis said, nodding to her. “Is there anything you need of us?”

Jaina nodded, trying to let go the tension in her shoulders. “I need to make sure I have a safe place to give birth,” she replied. “I’ve been worrying about that lately!”

“We will be most pleased to assist you with the birth!” Eblis’ voice was steadfast, and some of the other adults were nodding in agreement as he spoke. “We can provide and prepare a space upstairs in the bar for you to give birth in—our midwives will see to it that you and the holy children are well cared for.”

A shaky smile spread across her face, and she felt the tension in her shoulders fading. “Th-thank you kindly… shall I bring potions and blankets and things like that some months in advance? You might need a lot of those for other pregnant mothers as well…”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself; you’ve already done so much! Still…” Eblis looked very thoughtful. “More useful resources can never hurt. Speak with the midwives often so that you might be better prepared when the time comes.”

A loud squawk split the air, and the people gasped and looked up at the sky, their eyes widening in awe. Many of them quickly stepped aside as Coeli landed gracefully nearby.

One of the bandits looked to Azzanadra and bowed his head. “Lord Azzanadra, might that be the faithful griffin you spoke of, who was always by your side?”

Azzanadra smiled and nodded, motioning proudly to Coeli. “Indeed, and you have Jaina to thank for finding her. You will have to address her in Infernal—I do hope that your skills with the ancient language have not atrophied too much!”

Several of the children jumped up and down excitedly, asking all at once if they could pet her or go flying, and some of the bandits were already going over to greet Coeli and welcome her. As Azzanadra guided the children over to her, Jaina felt a little relieved to have some of the attention off her for the moment, though she was also just happy to see the griffin again. She hoped Coeli wouldn’t be too fazed by the desert heat or the sand.

“First the holy children are to be born, and now the champion’s faithful companion is alive and well… This calls for a celebration!” piped up one of the older women, and the rest of the bandits cheered once more.

“Then we shall have one,” Eblis declared. “Let us not waste any time in preparing it!”

Most of the bandits dispersed to start getting things ready, and Azzanadra finished helping two of the older children climb onto Coeli’s back and rejoined Jaina, his dark garnet eyes filled with worry. “Do you feel up to staying here for the celebration? It will take time to set up, so you can rest if needed.”

She quietly slipped a hand into his, squeezing it. “Y-yes… I don’t mind at all! It’s only right that I be here, when everyone’s so excited—and it will be a welcome break from mail-ordering diapers in bulk from the Grand Exchange and remodeling my home to set up the babies’ room!”

“You mentioned making significant progress?” His gaze softened a little, and he squeezed her hand back. “I should very much like to see it when it’s ready.”

“It might take awhile to finish everything, but I hope you’ll find it suitable so far whenever you do come to see it!” She drew closer, feeling a bit more at ease. The magical warmth he radiated was still comforting, even in the hot desert sun. “Did you hear that, little ones? The faithful are really happy because you’re here—and they’re going to help us!”

As if on cue, her stomach gave a small growl, and she couldn’t help but jolt in surprise at the sound. Raising an eyeridge, Azzanadra let his gaze stray to her stomach. “Whether or not they can hear yet, they are likely hungry. Which reminds me—you have been eating properly for their sake, yes? Meat, fruits and vegetables often, and not too many sweets?”

Jaina felt her face grow hot. She wasn’t sure what he would consider to be too many sweets, and she was sure he would find it unpleasant to see how much she’d been having to eat in one go lately.

“I-I’m trying to keep things balanced, yes…” She shifted anxiously and bit her lip. “I do cook different things every day—it feels very strange to have to eat for three!”

“Well, there will be enough to go around at the celebration, but you shouldn’t wait that long.” His tone and expression were both quite serious. “Go and ask the barkeep for something to tide the three of you over for the moment. I must supervise the children if Coeli is to fly with them!”

She nodded and headed for the bar, her stomach growling again, as if the babies were getting impatient. It occurred to her that it was for the better that she normally didn’t drink—she knew she had never accidentally exposed them to booze. Would the ill effects of drinking while pregnant be worse on half-breeds than on full humans? Would her friends or neighbors offer her wine or specialty ale at some point—and would she have to explain her pregnancy then? Why was she even thinking about this anyway? The barkeep wouldn’t expect her to order a drink, and he definitely wouldn’t sell her one now.

The loud chatter and singing in the bar sounded unusually grating on her ears as she walked in, so she quickly bought a couple of kebabs from the barkeep and headed to the upper level, sitting on the straw bed in the corner to relax and stretch her legs.

“Looks like this is where you two will be born,” she said quietly, looking around the large room. “Not quite what I’d have imagined, but I could never have imagined I would have you two… and what a day it will be when I can see you, hold you for the first time… It feels like forever to wait!”

She could only wonder if they were, or would grow to be, as eager to see her and their father as she was to see them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins the journey of an expecting World Guardian through a very unusual pregnancy!
> 
> Jaina is roughly in her third month at this point, and I'm trying to show the first signs of hormones and mood swings here. Trust me, I've had to do research to make sure I'm getting the depiction right... and I have to make a lot of conjecture too, since we don't know what things were like for Moia's mother. I'm not sure I want the pregnancy to go completely smoothly, but I also don't want to make it excruciatingly over-the-top or have to resort to deus ex machina, you know? 
> 
> The second and third scenes were originally the other way around, but it made a lot more sense to switch their places! If you remember previous fics, I actually did foreshadow Coeli--I figured she would need to be important if I brought her up like that, thus why she's not dead. Of course, now this means she has to show up regularly... and yes, I know language barriers generally aren't a thing in canon, but having one here made it more interesting. Also, since we know nothing about Camorra other than that she killed a dragon, there's no reason she couldn't have found her the way Robert found Hannibus.
> 
> I'm pretty sure spells do more in-universe than they do in game, and that there are way more spells that simply aren't seen in-game!
> 
> I'm also quite sure the human side of half-breeds means they do need to eat, and that it would be apparent that they did at this point--Lucien likely left the duty of feeding Moia to his lackeys. It makes sense for Azzanadra to be concerned about Jaina's diet, even if he wasn't before--those are his children too, and I don't think he wants them getting mostly cake while in the womb!
> 
> Yes, I know in the real medieval era, there wasn't anything safe to drink but alcohol, but indoor plumbing does exist in Gielinor and there are more drinks besides boozy stuff--so I don't see why fetal alcohol syndrome wouldn't be known about as of the Fifth Age.
> 
> Next chapter is a-coming...


	2. Chapter 2

She had just teleported home after an afternoon’s worth of shopping for baby clothing and suitable fabric to make baby clothes with when a knocking came at the front door. Quickly Jaina hung her bag over a parlor chair and went to answer the door.

“Evening, Miss Jaina,” Selena the gardener greeted her, smiling. “Will you be coming to the celebration dinner tonight?”

“Eh?” Jaina blinked in confusion. “I didn’t even know there was one—what’s it for?”

“To honor a young wizard from the Misthalin Tower,” Selena replied proudly. “She was just awarded the cape of magic mastery today! Such a prestigious honor… I do wonder if I’ll ever earn the right to the master farmers’ cape someday! Anyway, everyone is already gathered in the dining hall. You really should come!”

Jaina paused to consider the matter. She wasn’t showing that much yet, and she was admittedly curious about who it was that might have earned the cape. Staying in her house for too long would likely make the neighbors suspicious anyway—the last time she’d done that, she’d gotten the entire town badgering her constantly about when she was going to go to Lumbridge and fight for Saradomin.

Trying not to shudder at the memory, she smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right there… let me get my cape and get cleaned up first, and then I’ll be ready!”

She went to draw a bath, going about it more quickly than usual. It took her a little while to decide what to change into afterwards; ultimately she selected a purple blouse and skirt set with accents of varying blues and a large red bead at the neck. It didn’t feel as tight as many of her dresses did these days—she would, perhaps, need to do something about her own wardrobe sooner rather than later.

Sliding down the stair-rail, she went to get her bag and her own cape of magic mastery and then headed out the door. “We’ll be with the neighbors tonight,” she whispered to her stomach. “They’re nice, but we must be on our guard.”

The sounds of laughter and excited conversation could be heard from outside the large dining hall as she arrived, and when she stepped inside, heads turned and everyone started greeting her all at once.

“Good evening, everyone,” she said cheerfully, waving to the seated wizards and guardsmen. “Where might the guest of honor be?”

“Aaaah!” The sudden squeal was startling enough to quiet everyone. “It’s my hero!”

A wizard with chestnut brown hair and a heavily makeup-adorned face rushed towards Jaina with outstretched arms, cape of magic mastery streaming behind her. The purple-haired adventurer barely had time to recognize her before she firmly pulled her into a tight hug.

“Miss Ilona? Ah… can’t… breathe!”

“Oh, sorry!” Ilona stepped back, smiling sheepishly. “It’s just so wonderful to see you again, and on a big day like this, no less! You’re the whole reason I’m here now, after all! And you don’t have to call me Miss; just Ilona will do!”

“What perfect timing,” Wizard Distentor remarked. “She was just talking about you, Jaina! As I recall, you both grew up in Lumbridge.”

Jaina nodded. “Yes, I knew her growing up, though not that well. She was kinder to my family than some of our neighbors were…”

“I was just getting to the important part!” Ilona exclaimed. “She was so brave… she saved my life! And she was only eleven years old!”

She proceeded to tell about how she’d been kidnapped on her way to the Wizards’ Tower by three Zamorakian cultists, and how Jaina had pursued them into the catacombs beneath the Lumbridge graveyard to rescue her. Jaina listened quietly as she went to the serving table to get a plate—she would let Ilona finish, but she might have to chime in herself afterwards. There was quite a lot Ilona either didn’t know or was leaving out, like her brother’s help, Xenia’s trickery, how angry Father had been with Xenia for putting them both in danger, knowing full well that the cultists would have had no qualms about killing his children…

“Hi, Miss Jaina,” little Julia greeted from the other side of the table, motioning to a pie before her. “Want some lemon-rang pie? Me and Nana and Daddy did all the baking for the party! And when I grow up I’m gonna get a cape for being weally good at cooking!”

“Technically, you and Mother did the baking,” piped up Julia’s father, who had exchanged his watchman’s armor for a white apron. “I just roasted the meat and fried the fish.”

“Your contribution was still vitally important, Lieutenant Onasi—I mean Garrett,” Jaina pointed out, taking a slice of the pie. “Some things turn out better when working together—like when I rescued Ilona. I didn’t go down there alone; my brother came too. The cultists had an archer with them, but my brother carried a simple sword and shield—he managed to get up close to the archer to fight him so I wouldn’t get turned into a pincushion!”

“It would take extraordinary courage to face such danger at such a young age,” Garrett remarked, frowning. “Especially Zamorakian cultists—they would have meant to fight you to the death if you interfered with their plans.”

“Father’s old mentor warned us of exactly that beforehand,” said Jaina, nodding. “The archer turned out to be a coward, but their mage in particular was furious that I was better with magic than she was…”

“She’s not scawed of mean old Zam-o-man, Daddy,” Julia chimed in cheerfully. “She wescued me too! And then she beat up all of Zam-o-man’s scawy meanies!”

Jaina gave a nervous laugh. In a sense that was technically sort of true, but…

“We’ll talk more when I finish everything on my plate,” she said hastily, trying not to think about Zamorak or his followers. “I think Ilona might want to talk to me more—I haven’t seen her in a very long time.”

She headed over to the tables to find a space, and Ilona perked up and beckoned her to come sit with her. Jaina did so, returning the smile the wizard was giving her.

“You know, my brother deserves credit for saving you too,” she said, smoothing her skirt out a bit.

“Oh, I know… but you’ve helped me in other ways, too! Who hasn’t heard of your amazing adventures? And when I said I couldn’t have gotten my cape without you, what I meant was—” Ilona abruptly stopped short, her eyes widening. “By Saradomin’s beard! Jaina… when is the baby due?”

The entire hall fell silent, and a chorus of gasps arose as all eyes locked onto Jaina. She tensed up, her heart beating faster and sweat forming on her brow—the stares pierced right through her, and the dead silence was absolutely deafening.

The innkeeper’s wife was the first to break the silence. “How come you didn’t tell us you were having a baby?”

Jaina shifted awkwardly and looked down at her hands. “Erm, well… you never asked…”

“How long have you known for?” one of the Guild apprentices asked. “Did you just find out?”

“Who’s the father?” Colonel Radick added. “We haven’t heard anything about you getting married or bringing a husband home…”

Some of the people exchanged concerned, disapproving glances, and Frenita spoke up, shaking her head. “Let us not be too quick to pass judgment on her! Do you forget all those years ago when her aunt arrived at Yanille’s gates, alone and with child? Shada was not loose in morals or lacking in virtue; her child’s father was dead and she needed our help and support!”

That wasn’t quite accurate, Jaina knew; old Lozar had told her just before she died why Aunt Shada had left Lumbridge—she’d had an affair with a young guardsman and didn’t want anyone to find out that she had conceived a baby out of wedlock. Of course, Father had found that out from Lozar too, but he’d kept the secret safe, and there was no reason she shouldn’t as well—certainly not when she had much bigger secrets of her own to keep!

“Mother is right,” Garrett added, “and regardless, we must not forget that Jaina is still a true hero. She bravely ventured into the heart of the ogre city a few years back when the Watchtower’s protection failed, and more recently she saved my daughter’s life!”

“She might’ve eloped,” Ilona suggested. “That seems adventurous enough for a hero to want to do!”

There were murmurs among the crowd, and then Amalie finally spoke up. “Jaina, who is your husband and what is he like? Where is he now, and why haven’t we seen or heard anything about him yet?”

“I saw him one time!” Julia blurted out. “He’s weally nice!”

Jaina froze up, feeling a chill surge down her spine as many expectant gazes fell on Julia, and the small girl looked about to cry as she realized her blunder. The adventurer tried to stop herself from shivering—she couldn’t blame Julia for making a mistake, but how was she going to explain herself out of this one?

“I saw him too,” Zavistic Rarve chimed in. “At least I believe I did. Does he happen to be an archaeologist with a very unruly red beard that looks like it might jump out and attack someone?”

“Y-yes! That’s him—that’s my beloved!” Jaina wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved just yet—she had to be careful what she said, and hope this would turn out well. “His name is Dr. Aurelius Nabanik, and he works for the museum of Varrock—his research is mainly dedicated to Second Age societies and the ways of ancient magic, and he’s also studied uncommon niche religions.”

“Ah, so he’s a scholar!” Distentor remarked, stroking his beard. “So you fancy a learned man… strange, then, that you seemed so reluctant to marry a wizard…”

“Anyway,” Jaina continued, “yes, we ran off together; we didn’t really want the hassle of a large wedding! I have too many complicated matters to deal with anyway… As for why he’s not usually home, well, you can all easily see why that is! He has to stay in Misthalin to get things done for the museum, and his research requires him to travel often! I’m not home much myself, you know—but we do meet up frequently when I’m out adventuring!”

“You do not even have a problem with a husband who cannot make time to come home nightly and enjoy a home-cooked meal and your company?” Professor Imblewyn stared up at her with a puzzled look. “You truly are the strangest human I’ve ever met.”

“She’s an adventurer, Mr. Gnome sir,” Ilona pointed out. “She always wanted to do big exciting things—I’m not surprised she prefers to do things in unusual and exciting ways! Jaina, did he help you find the forgotten spells you rediscovered?”

The questions immediately started coming more rapidly, everyone asking all at once—“How did you meet him?” “Has he found out anything new in his research?” “Does he wish he could come home more?” “Has he heard the news of the baby yet?” “Is he excited about being a new father?” “Is he going to be home more often when the baby is born, or will you move back to Misthalin?” “Any ideas for what to name it?”

“Wait, wait!” Jaina gestured to the crowd with a downward hand motion to try to get them to quiet down. “I can’t keep up if you’re all asking questions at once… more importantly, this celebration is for Ilona. Let’s keep things primarily about her—you can focus more on me some other time!”

That got most of the people quickly apologizing to Ilona all at once, but the wizard just smiled at them. “I know you didn’t mean to seem like you were forgetting me! This is really quite the wondrous surprise…”

She glanced over at Jaina, her cheerful expression fading, and lowered her voice. “Anyway, when I said I couldn’t have gotten my cape without you… well, I’d prefer to tell you in a bit more privacy. Might we excuse ourselves?”

“Oh… very well!” Jaina nodded and slowly stood up. “Pardon me," she called out, "but I need to go to the bathroom…”

She stepped outside the hall and into the windy evening, and it wasn’t long before Ilona joined her. The brunette smiled a bit nervously, drawing her cape more closely around her. “You see, I couldn’t ever quite decide what kind of magic to specialize in. I like stun and bind spells because they’re good for incapacitation and self-defense without killing, but after seeing how adeptly one as young as you wielded elemental magic, I wanted to get good at that too! So I studied both extensively, but then a year ago you published that forgotten ancient spellbook! Of course, the Tower library refused to carry it, but I was curious, especially as I heard more about you using those spells…”

“I’m guessing you were worried about the wizards being superstitious about it?” Jaina asked. “I’m also guessing you practiced those spells secretly in order to earn your cape, since my skill with them earned me mine…”

Ilona nodded. “Yes, but I’ve never used them in real combat, because I didn’t want to kill anyone! I considered ways to use them outside of combat—the smoke spells came easiest to me, and that’s probably because I’m best with wind spells. A magical smokescreen would be useful for cover in dire situations, and I’ve gotten really good at making colorful smoke rings!”

She fiddled with the cuffs of her sleeves. “But I was so worried that Saradomin might be angry with me, or that Wizard Sedridor would be… He said he was proud of my ingenuity and thought it was sufficient to consider me a master of magic, but what will the other wizards think? Some of them already talk about you disapprovingly, despite all your brave and noble deeds…”

“Those wizards would have that attitude regardless, simply because I am not and never will be Saradominist, or because I didn’t want to become or marry a wizard—don’t worry about what they say about me!” Jaina smiled shakily, trying to stay confident for Ilona’s sake. “Don’t worry about them too much; just be proud of your achievement! You don’t have to go around saying you studied that spellbook—I wouldn’t advise that—but your knowledge of it might well be the key to a new breakthrough! That could show the more superstitious of the bunch that there’s more to it than being deadly.” And that not everything related to Zaros is inherently evil, for that matter, she added silently.

Ilona closed her eyes, looking pensive, and her painted lips slowly curved into a soft smile. “Yes… you’re right! Who knows what I could discover… what magical capabilities could be known by the time your baby is old enough to study advanced magic!” She pulled the purple-haired mage into a tight hug. “You’re the best! You’ve helped so much…”

Jaina returned the hug a little weakly. “Well, that is what a hero is supposed to do…”

When Ilona stepped back, she seemed to perk up, her eyes shining brightly. “Oh, I should really like to see your baby when it’s born, and I’d love to meet your husband! It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Varrock, let alone the museum… Will I run into him if I go visit?”

Jaina’s smile became a nervous grin. “Ah, well… if you’re really that interested, he had parts of the ancient city that’s being excavated restored, but you have to buy a ticket from the museum curator to be allowed down there!” She bit her lip, shifting apprehensively in place. “A-anyway, let’s get back to the celebration… We wouldn’t want to miss out on the cake!”

As they made their way back into the hall, she drew her cape partially around her stomach like a blanket. “I hope your father wouldn’t disapprove, but that cake is certainly going to calm my nerves a lot,” she whispered to her babies. “I’m sure you’ll like it too!”

~***~

As she headed towards Wahisietel’s home, half-finished choc-ice in hand, Jaina saw a camel quietly standing just outside the house, colorful bags, blankets, and assorted goods on its back. A baby camel was playfully running around in circles next to it as it watched.

Already she suspected why the camels were there, and she would see if she was right just as soon as she finished her choc-ice. Smiling at the little one, she tentatively approached, hoping the mother wouldn’t take it the wrong way and spit at her.

The baby camel perked up and sauntered curiously towards her, sniffing in her direction. It made a sort of cute bleating sound, as if to greet her, and excitedly reared up to nose her leg.

“What is it, little friend?” came a familiar voice, and a tall, dark-skinned man dressed in rich orange and white Kharidian silks stepped out of the house. On his head he wore a bright orange turban, and he had a short curly black beard and sparkling golden eyes.

Jaina recognized him; she’d seen Akthanakos visiting the desert bandits quite a few times in this particular guise, usually to bring them sweets and other nice gifts from Al Kharid. She had overheard some of the Nardah locals talking about a traveling merchant in town as she was buying the choc-ice, too, so she wasn’t that surprised to see him.

“Ah, Jaina, have you been keeping well?” Patting the baby camel’s head, Akthanakos smiled at her and beckoned with his other hand. “Do step inside! You wouldn’t want to faint from desert heat.”

She curtsied in greeting and followed him in, and Wahisietel straightened up as he caught sight of her. “Good afternoon, Jaina. Have you come to discuss how you and the children are faring?”

Jaina nodded, politely waving hello. “Yes, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Hardly! I should certainly like to know how they’re faring too.” Akthanakos motioned for Jaina to take the seat he offered. “These are only the first children our kind has had in centuries we’re talking about, after all.”

“I have researched human pregnancies more extensively since we last spoke, specifically those with twins,” Wahisietel said, taking a book off a shelf to peruse it. “You are at the point where your pregnancy is noticeable without the aid of magic, it seems—have you been experiencing morning sickness or any unconventional food cravings lately?”

“I haven’t gotten morning sickness yet, though I do take a potion for it before I go to sleep,” Jaina replied, settling comfortably into her chair. “I guess that might be preventing it? As for the food part… well, one thing is for sure.” She smiled shakily, her face flushing a bit. “These two are really hungry all the time! I ate two whole meat pies and a whole summer pie this morning before I came here… I’m not sure I can keep up if they’re this demanding already!”

“It seems we have tiny imperial soldiers on our hands!” Akthanakos remarked with a chuckle. “You should have seen how much our troops could eat, particularly when coming home after long campaigns with scant rations.”

Wahisietel frowned, looking thoughtful. “Does their Mahjarrat half perhaps play a role in their growing appetites? They may require magical sustenance as well, not just food—I believe that a full Mahjarrat baby would draw upon its mother’s power as it grew, not unlike a human baby absorbs what its mother eats. Some sort of magic source for them to use may ease their hunger somewhat.”

“But how? They can’t draw any sort of power from me directly…”

“Indeed not, however, I do have a theory,” he mused, looking back at his book. “Simply casting magic frequently may allow them to draw on some of the magic of your spells as you cast them. Do this over a two-week period, making note of how much you eat daily, then return to me with your findings.”

She nodded, but before she could reply, he suddenly sat up straighter, looking concerned. “And have you felt at all suddenly temperamental or upset with seemingly no provocation?”

“Erm, no, I don’t think I have…” Jaina shifted in her chair, straightening one of her hair ties. “I do worry about what could go wrong sometimes, but that isn’t what you mean, I’m guessing…”

“Well, pay attention to when you start experiencing emotional shifts like that,” Wahisietel said solemnly. “It should start to happen roughly at this point and continue to the midpoint of your pregnancy. It may be difficult to keep that under control, since you never know when one may set off.”

“I don’t know about human mothers,” Akthanakos added, “but you should have seen what Mahjarrat mothers could be like. Most males would keep a fair distance from a pregnant mother, because you never knew when she would become suddenly infuriated for no clear reason!”

Jaina couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of a Mahjarrat being that quick to anger, though her curiosity was piqued. “How did Mahjarrat mothers handle pregnancy? Surely the low birth rate meant it was particularly important to protect them—and newborns—from all the hazards and such?”

“That it was, though they were far from the wilting flowers some humans seem to view pregnant women as,” said Wahisietel, nodding. “We had a saying that a thousand muspah would tremble in fear of the wrath of a Mahjarrat mother, and that did not cease to be so after she had her baby—on the contrary, she could get even more fierce, albeit somewhat weaker from the birth. A mother would defend her children to the very end, and the changes brought on by pregnancy seemed to be for that very purpose.”

“That weakening from giving birth seemed to be greatly exacerbated here on Gielinor, from the few times anyone managed a successful pregnancy, that is.” Akthanakos sighed, looking melancholy. “Those few times that I remember all resulted in stillbirths, and few of the mothers survived either. I suspect that even Palkeera succumbed to that weakness…”

“I doubt you will experience such a thing,” Wahisietel pointed out, “but the children will probably be larger than a human baby and put a greater strain on you, and their energies may be painful to your insides and potentially overwhelming to you.”

Jaina tensed up, looking down at her hands. Of course she knew that childbirth was going to be painful and dangerous; it would be like that regardless. Merely knowing that might not be enough to prepare her for the experience when it did happen, though… and there was so much uncertain about all this that it was hard not to be terrified. Then again, uncertainty and terror were part of adventure, so in a way this wasn’t so new.

“My prospects are certainly looking grim,” she remarked dryly.

Just then a loud, eager squawk split the air, and the baby camel gave a startled bleat as a large shadow blocked out the sunlight streaming through the doorway curtains. Wahisietel and Akthanakos glanced at each other with puzzled expressions, and Jaina wondered if they were speaking telepathically.

They nodded to each other and Akthanakos stood up to go outside, and Wahisietel turned to Jaina. “Ah yes, Azzanadra told us that you found what became of his griffin. It is greatly surprising that she was alive all this time!”

“I was certainly surprised,” said Jaina, hoping the camels wouldn’t be too terrified of a massive griffin suddenly landing nearby. “It can’t be easy for her to see the world the way it’s become…”

As if on cue, Coeli poked her head past the curtains. “Pleasant day, Legatus!” she squawked cheerfully. “You too, Jaina and little ones!”

Wahisietel rose from his chair, offering a hand to Jaina to help her up. “My old title will no longer be necessary, Lady Coeli,” he said in Infernal, shaking his head. “As you can see, I have dedicated myself to more scholarly pursuits now.”

Jaina couldn’t make out the next few things that were being said, but she did catch Akthanakos’ name being mentioned, as well as Azzanadra and herself. She surmised that Coeli was expressing her excitement about the twins, and that Akthanakos had to comfort the startled camels.

“I did tell him a thousand times back in the day that getting a consort would do him good,” Akthanakos chimed in, stepping past Coeli to reenter the house. “He always said that it might interfere with his duties to the church and to Zaros, but I knew he’d eventually come around!”

Coeli gave him a nod of approval and a happy chirp, and then looked at the floor sadly. “House too small…”

“I was just about to point that out,” Wahisietel said, frowning. “Most homes these days are not large enough to fit griffins through the door… You may have to stay outside.”

Coeli looked a bit forlorn as she pulled her head back outside, and Jaina couldn’t help but frown as well. “Were the houses in Senntisten all big enough to fit a griffin through the doors, or just the more upscale ones?”

“Well, as leading figures in the empire, the Mahjarrat all lived in palaces,” Wahisietel replied, “and the wealthy elite did own large homes both inside and outside the city. From what I saw of the commoners’ dwellings—”

Suddenly Coeli and the camels all let out sharp ear-piercing shrieks, causing Jaina to double over and clutch her head in pain. There was a screech and a startled cry, and then the sounds of frantic flapping, and then finally a loud thump; when she looked up, Akthanakos was dragging in an unconscious man, restrained with powerful magical bonds and half-tucked under his arm.

“We were fortunate that Lady Coeli arrived when she did,” he said quietly, draping the man over the seat of his chair. Carefully he placed two items on the table, one a destroyed communication device of some kind and the other a small red token bearing the symbol of Zamorak. “This man is a Zamorakian spy! He was already reporting to his superiors before we caught him, I fear.”

“Then we mustn’t waste any time—we must take him in for questioning.” Wahisietel had already gotten up and taken the man’s bag off of him, and was checking his pockets.

“What the blazes is he doing here?” Jaina stared at the unconscious spy, her mind racing with thoughts of what the answer to that question might be. “Was he looking for me? Did he follow me here? Is this my f—”

“Calm down, Jaina! We’ll handle this.” Wahisietel was eyeing her warily. “It would be best if you were to go elsewhere for now—let Lady Coeli fly you somewhere, perhaps?”

She nodded and shakily stood up, adjusting her bag, but when she glanced at the door, she suddenly tensed up and looked to Akthanakos. “What about the camels? Will they be left here alone?”

“Don’t worry; I will be bringing them to the faithful. They will look after them in my absence!” Akthanakos gave her a half-smile, though his eyes weren’t twinkling; indeed, they looked filled with worry. “I wouldn’t neglect my friends.”

She nodded reluctantly and waved to the both of them, and then hurried outside, trembling all over as she did so. Coeli gave her a worried look and spread her wings, sitting in such a way so that Jaina could climb on. “Come with me! I be careful, promise!”

Jaina carefully scrambled on, holding on tight to the griffin’s neck. She was a little apprehensive about flying again, but she was also desperately hoping that spies had not been sent to her home as well.

~***~

The mage had stayed quiet for the whole time in the air so far; even if she wasn’t limited in what she could even say, all she could think about was that spy and what his motives might’ve been. Had he followed her? Did he know about her allies’ human guises? Did he know about her children—and did that mean Zamorak knew about them too, and was planning something? Were there other spies trying to break into her home or waiting for her in places they thought she might go?

Coeli finally broke the silence. “How you doing? Not scared?”

Jaina shook her head. “No, I’m not scared of flying. It’s…” The word for “spy” escaped her at the moment; what else was fitting? “That man, the enemy—the traitor, I mean—is what I’m worried about!”

“You mustn’t worry,” the griffin stated firmly. “Friends worry about him—and traitors can’t fly! We go where they not go!”

“Where are we going?”

Coeli made a thoughtful sort of hum. “I show you elven city! Grand city, but not as grand as Senntisten—humans not ever see it!”

“Uh… I’ve seen it,” said Jaina, a bit unsure if the fact would strike a blow to Coeli’s pride. “I’ve been there. The elves have only just opened it to—” she didn’t know the word for “tourist;” she had to think of something else suitable—“visitors!”

“Truly?” Coeli sounded surprised indeed. “But elves not like anyone who not elf…”

“Well, I may have helped them sort out their problems… now they see me as a hero, a savior.” Jaina bit her lip, hoping the griffin wouldn’t misunderstand somehow. “It’s a long story…”

Coeli nodded, twittering curiously. “Knew you were hero—Azzanadra told me about you, about your great deeds! You help us all much, even Great Lord himself! If you are hero to elves also, we visit elven city—traitors not go there!”

Jaina wasn’t quite sure if that was true; in fact, it seemed like every Kandarin citizen had wanted to go to Prifddinas once news of its restoration and opening had gotten out. On the other hand, the Zamorakians wouldn’t suspect her of wanting to go there, since she didn’t visit it that frequently—and the elves wouldn’t care about who her babies’ father was, at least not enough to question her about it.

The flight continued westward over Ardougne, and then over the mountains that divided Tirannwn from Kandarin. It wasn’t long before Jaina could see the crystal spires of Prifddinas on the horizon, glittering brightly in the afternoon sun.

As they passed over the city outskirts and Coeli flew over the rooftops, the local elves and human tourists below stopped what they were doing to stare up at them in awe. Some of them waved and called out various greetings, and a few elves gasped in excitement and pointed to Jaina, their eyes bright.

Coeli stopped briefly to hover just over the Ithell district, and Jaina wasn’t sure if she was considering landing, but she suspected she must be tired and need to land and rest. There were already crowds gathering in the streets to see them, talking excitedly amongst each other.

The adventurer heard someone call out her name, and just below them, she could see a familiar raven-haired, dark-skinned elf waving up at her as she ran closer. Skidding to a stop, the elven woman paused to catch her breath and motioned for Coeli to land before her.

“I think it’s safe to land,” Jaina whispered. “You must need to rest after such a long way…”

Coeli nodded and cautiously flew down to land, eyeing the crowds a bit warily. “We stay close,” she insisted as she came to rest on the ground.

Jaina was careful as well as she slid off the griffin’s back, and she waved back at the raven-haired elf. “Good afternoon, Eluned. I hope you weren’t too startled!”

“I wouldn’t say startled,” said Eluned, eyeing Coeli curiously. “Surprised is more like it! I didn’t take you as the type to tame unusual beasts in order to ride them—you seem to prefer teleportation!”

“Normally I do,” said Jaina, nodding. “But this noble griffin is quite intelligent, and a good friend. She wished to take me flying, and I obliged! And I do have something of a way with animals—my mother was a summoner, after all!”

“Truly? Well, Lord Amlodd and his fellow clansmen would be most envious of you.” Eluned smiled and gave a musical, lilting laugh, but her expression suddenly grew serious. “I don’t mean to trouble you, but your arrival couldn’t have been timelier! You see, there have been—”

The ground beneath them started to shake and vibrate, and the onlookers screamed and frantically tried to run, shoving desperately through the crowds. Coeli swiftly pulled Jaina beneath her wings, sheltering her protectively.

When the shaking had stopped, Eluned peeked through the griffin’s large wings. “That was just what I was about to tell you! The whole city will shake at seemingly random times, and it’s been going on for three days. The Voice of Seren seems to amplify the problem—the city’s crystal is resonating with the song in a way we’ve never seen before!”

Offering a hand to Jaina, she helped her up. “The crystals seem to be shifting towards the Tower of Voices! I think I feel it too—they are willing me to bring Seren back together, I’m sure of it!”

“But what can be done?” Jaina frowned, looking around at the tall buildings and the still-worried onlookers. “Surely you all can’t sit back and do nothing while waiting for the city to collapse…”

“The clan elders share my concerns,” Eluned pointed out. “As per tradition in times of need, a sacred conclave is to be held today in the upper chamber of the Tower of Voices—I believe they intend to vote on whether or not to bring Seren back! Your help might just be the very thing we need right now—will you come to the conclave with me? It’s due to begin shortly.”

Jaina tensed up, feeling sweat form on her brow. This was so sudden—what would reforming Seren even entail, since she already suspected that would have to happen one way or another? Would Prifddinas have to be dismantled to restore her? Was there a way to do so without resorting to that? How long would the process take, and how much of it would the elves need her for? While she was busy helping put Seren back together, would spies break into her home? And would Coeli be alright while the conclave was in session?

“What about my griffin friend? She would never fit through the staircase even if the clan elders would allow her in.”

“She may have to wait outside the Tower, yes.” Eluned gave Coeli an apologetic look. “No one shall pester or harm her—I shall see to it!”

Jaina had to think carefully about which of the right words she knew before turning to Coeli again. “I’m being asked to go to a meeting of the elven leaders, and you would have to wait outside for me… will that trouble you too much?”

Coeli looked uncertain. “You stay safe there? I not let any harm come to little ones!”

“I’m sure it will be safe, yes,” Jaina said, nodding. “And not that long either, I hope!”

Eluned eyed them oddly. “Strange that your griffin does not seem to know the common tongue, despite being able to speak.”

“She is very old and wise, but she’s also not had contact with other creatures for many years,” Jaina quickly explained, unsure if any of the elves knew anything about Infernal or remembered the empire. “She’s rather worried about my safety!”

“Well, you know neither of you face danger here.” Eluned glanced over at the Tower of Voices. “We must hurry—I shall help you find her a place to wait!”

Jaina nodded and followed her towards the Tower, motioning for Coeli to follow as well. The griffin flew just above them, watching the purple-haired girl like a hawk the whole way.

~***~

“Well met, Jaina,” Arianwyn greeted, bowing his head. “I must confess I am pleased to see you—perhaps you can help us with this chaos?”

“You are the first human to attend such a conclave, young one,” Lord Crwys remarked, smiling thoughtfully. “How the times change…”

“And I see you are with child now!” Lord Amlodd chimed in, giving her a wink. “The baby’s in good hands—and I’m sure that the father-to-be is proud indeed!”

“How is the baby?” Lady Ithell asked. “How are you faring? Hmmm… Do human mothers have similar pregnancy-related conditions to those of elven mothers in the first place?”

“If you don’t mind,” Arianwyn said firmly, “we must save our congratulations and well-wishes regarding her pregnancy for later. There are important matters we must discuss immediately.”

The eight leaders nodded solemnly and proceeded to briefly go over the matter of the recent quakes and the question of restoring Seren, and then Lord Amlodd cleared his throat. “As is tradition, it shall be put to a vote, one voice emerging from many. Jaina, ordinarily only clan leaders are permitted to vote, although given the circumstances, we unanimously agree that you have earned the right. As our honored guest, you will cast the first vote—what say you?”

Jaina certainly didn’t see what good it would do to say no—based on what was going on, it seemed clear that Seren wanted to be whole once more. It certainly wouldn’t do any good for the goddess to stay shattered forever anyway—being in pieces like that couldn’t be good for her mind, and the shattered fragment of Seren’s consciousness nearby had indicated that rather well the few times she’d come up here to see it.

“Seren should be reformed,” she replied. “That seems to be her wish, and it’s high time it happened anyway; most of the other gods have already returned, and she can’t stay in pieces forever.”

One by one the clan leaders stated their pieces, some of them arguing that Seren’s sacrifice should be honored, but the vote didn’t take long, and to Jaina’s relief, restoring Seren won out. The discussion then turned to what should be done first, which the leaders didn’t seem to have any concrete idea about—and Jaina certainly didn’t either. She could only listen quietly and silently pray that a solution could be found sooner rather than later.

“Enough squabbling!” Lady Trahaearn finally snapped. “I may have a solution—a little farfetched, perhaps, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The ancient elves of my clan once smithed an artifact imbued with the power to manipulate time!”

Jaina straightened up immediately. “You mean the Enchanted Key? I—well, I might happen to have it…”

“You do?” Lady Trahaearn’s age-worn face seemed to light up curiously. “That certainly is a twist of fate. Do you have it with you now?”

“Actually, I keep it in a safe place in my home—I’ll have to go and get it!” The adventurer smiled awkwardly, blushing a little.

“Indeed, because I’ll need to modify it to get you where you need to go,” Lady Trahaearn stated flatly, nodding. “Don’t get sidetracked on your way to get it!”

“Be cautious when you use it!” Lord Iorwerth warned. “Time is not something to be trifled with, especially when you carry a child.”

Jaina felt her stomach clench sharply at that. “Yes, I’ll… I’ll return shortly…”

She pulled a house teletab out of her bag as she hurried down the staircase, her hands shaking a little. “We’re going to go somewhere far away,” she whispered to her stomach. “A different kind of far away, no less… I promise I won’t do anything stupid while we’re there! I won’t let anything happen to you!”

As she broke the teletab, she offered a silent prayer to Zaros to grant her courage and guide her path, if he could still watch over her at whatever point in time she would find herself in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's where we start to cover canon quest ground, though I didn't miss the chance to do more than just that--and I got to flesh out the Yanille residents some more!
> 
> This part was plagued with troubled production from the get-go--I had to rewrite and rearrange the first two scenes a lot to get them to flow logically, and there was a Mahjarrat legend I'd wanted to include that didn't make it into the final cut because it padded things out too much.
> 
> It's fun to write Jaina having to watch what she says and say things that, while true, leave out a lot of the details--"distilling down the truth while excluding minor details that might offend people's sensibilities," if you will. :giggle:
> 
> Indeed I'm not having every single quest take place exactly in 169 of the Fifth Age, because that's kind of overkill even for Comic Book Time, and it makes sense for someone who lived in Lumbridge to do quite a few of the easier quests in the area (particularly Cook's Assistant and The Restless Ghost) at a younger age anyway. Wizard Ilona does specialize in either stuns/binds or elemental magic, her canonical choice depending on if you kill the cultists or not, but she'd probably see an eleven-year-old child rescuing her from them a little differently than she would an adult. An eleven-year-old child also wouldn't have even considered killing them if she didn't have to--and I think that's too soon a point to force Jaina to have to kill another sapient being for the first time.
> 
> I'm pretty sure skillcapes exist in-universe, just that A) they wouldn't be called that and B) they would be much, much rarer than they are in-game. My headcanon is that they became a tradition around the start of the Fifth Age to honor those who had mastered a trade, and are a ceremonial symbol of celebrating human accomplishment--the first capes were likely hunters' since they are said to be made from the fur of the rare Raharni Wildcat.
> 
> Akthanakos gets a human guise too, because why not?
> 
> My initial drafts had a lot less Coeli, but I realized if she was important enough to bring back, she should be important enough to have a greater presence in the overall whole. Writing her parts are a bit tricky though, since I have to accurately convey a language barrier with her while not forcing the readers to resort to Google Translate for bad Latin.
> 
> Onward to the next part!


	3. Chapter 3

Her heart dropped like a stone in a lake when she saw where the key was guiding her. If she had to go down there, that could only mean…

Reluctantly she continued into the cavern, and the warmer the key got, the more she could feel herself trembling—and the more her mind swirled with thoughts and worries of everything that could possibly go wrong. When she reached the final chamber and stood before Guthix’s remains, the key burned white-hot in her hands, and she collapsed onto the floor, the tears already flowing.

How could she possibly face Guthix? Would he be able to tell that her babies weren’t fully human? If he noticed they were half Mahjarrat, would he then instruct the Guardians to do everything they could to keep her away from the Mahjarrat before she could meet her Zarosian allies, thus potentially erasing them from existence? Would she slip up and say something that would greatly alter the present, erasing them from existence—or making something else worse than it already was?

Why did Guthix have to have been such a fool? Why couldn’t he have been the mighty, caring, ever protecting god she’d been raised to believe he was? Why did he have to have thought a mere mortal could singlehandedly protect Gielinor or do his job for him? It was indirectly all his fault that there was a hideous crater near Lumbridge, and that Zanik was gone, and that Saradomin had taken that wand by force, and that Zamorak might now have his followers spying on her for who knew what reason!

Jaina could vividly remember that dreadful day, how she had stayed here, too stunned and numb to move, and cried for awhile after Guthix had expired. The memory of that moment only made even more tears gush forth, and her nose had filled up as well; she very quickly rendered her unfortunate hanky completely soaked through and covered in wet slime.

She was tempted to scream at the god’s petrified remains and curse his rotten name, but she thought better of it and remained quiet, staying there with the key clutched to her chest until at last she could cry no more. Her eyes felt swollen and weary, her hand ached from clutching the steaming key, and her nose hurt from blowing it so much. It took considerable effort to finally get back on her feet.

Closing her eyes, Jaina drew in a deep breath. She had to stay calm and coherent for this, and be very careful what she would say. All she had to do was ask about Seren and how to restore her; she did not have to tell Guthix any more than was necessary—and screaming at a god never did anyone any good, either. She must be respectful and polite, and keep the exchange as brief as possible!

“Well, here goes nothing,” she whispered, and shakily rubbed the key. In a flash of light she found herself standing before a very much alive Guthix, and couldn’t help but gasp in awe at the sight.

The god of balance slowly opened one eye, his brow furrowing inquisitively. “It is not often that someone finds their way in here. Who might you be?”

Jaina curtsied in greeting, drawing another deep breath. “Just an adventurer,” she replied. “A simple girl with a simple dream.”

“You are much more than just an adventurer, and far from simple.” Those large green eyes seemed to sparkle with curiosity as he gazed at her. “I see that well enough—and I also see that you are a mother. Hmmm, what sort of world will you bring this new life into?”

She shifted nervously, wringing her hands. “What do you mean?”

“You find yourself here—now, even as I prepare my greatest workings—with the Amserdrwys.” Guthix’s gaze fell upon the key. “I am curious about the time from whence you came—will your child be born into an era of peace and prosperity, or one of war and suffering? Please, do tell me what things will be like.”

Jaina tensed up, her mind racing. Was it safe to tell Guthix about the future at all? If she said she didn’t want to talk about it, he might think things were going to get even worse than the God Wars had made them! Whatever she said, it would have to be something that wasn’t likely to alter the present—something not too drastic, that wouldn’t spur Guthix into any kind of action.

“Humans will discover how to craft runes,” she finally said. “Magic has always been a part of my life—by the time of my birth, it will be as commonplace for humans as flowers are in the spring, and runes will be as widely available as bread, eggs, and milk. A whole host of spells— enchantments, teleports, elemental spells, mundane spells for day-to-day tasks—will be devised, and their use will be widespread.”

Guthix smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling. “Human ingenuity never ceases to impress,” he remarked. “Your child will be fortunate to grow up in such a time indeed… would that the humans of this age were so fortunate. They have suffered enough—I have no choice but to banish the other gods. All of them.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Jaina said quickly, anxious to get to the point before Guthix thought to ask anything about her babies’ father. “I’m here on behalf of the elves—we need to restore Seren.”

“Restore?” Guthix frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. “I fear I do not understand…”

“When you demand she leaves, she will choose to shatter herself rather than abandon the elves. We need to know if it is possible to put her back together after that.”

The balance god made a sad sort of hum and looked down sorrowfully. “It may well be,” he murmured, and explained that the process would require finding any major parts of Seren that remained and having talented enough elves crystal sing her back together. Jaina listened carefully and wrote the details down on a small notepad, but before she could thank Guthix for his help, he seemed to jolt upright abruptly. “Wait—I feel the presence of another here. We are being watched… I can sense Seren’s essence. It is her, but… different, somehow… I suggest you seek this presence out before you go. It is somewhere in this chamber, so you will not have to go far.”

Jaina nodded and hurried up the staircase, and she spotted a flash of green near the chamber entrance. A closer look revealed the familiar sight of a raven-haired, dark-skinned elven woman, gazing very apprehensively at Guthix’s imposing form.

She stared at her in surprise. “Wait, what… Eluned?”

The elf turned, startled. “Oh—you spotted me! I-I’m Haluned, actually… wait, I recognize you!” She tentatively approached the purple-haired adventurer. “You were the human I saw all those years ago—the one misplaced in time! But you weren’t with child then… How strange that we should meet again!”

“You’ve seen me before?” Jaina bit her lip, recalling something in Seren’s memories about that—though she hadn’t seen Haluned there at the time. “And how come you look so much like Eluned?”

“It’s because we were born from the same mother,” Haluned replied. “You might say we’re twins—oh, I’ve said too much! I shouldn’t say any more…”

Jaina was curious about what that might mean, but there was no point in pressing the topic further. “What brought you here?”

Her voice still frantic, Haluned explained that she was here to keep an eye on Guthix, since Seren was worried he might make her leave. “I saw you talking to him—” She stopped short, her eyes wide. “Wait! My mistress calls for me. She’s displeased—it was wrong of me to speak to you. I must go!”

With that she teleported before Jaina even had a chance to say anything. The young mage could only stand there, uncertain of what to make of that sudden encounter, until she heard Guthix’s voice telling her to come back.

As she did so, she quickly curtsied again. “Is there anything else I should know to restore Seren? I really must be going.”

“Not that I know of.” The green god shook his head. “You sound worried—well, the elves of your time need you, as does your child’s father… He is still present in your life, yes? What sort of a man is he?”

A sharp chill surged through her, and she shakily nodded, thinking carefully before she spoke. “Yes—he is a noble, brave, honorable man, and a good friend. Already he and his brothers have been closely looking out for us as best they can.”

“Then let me not keep you for longer than I must,” said Guthix, his voice melancholy. “I will visit Seren for the final time—even if it is futile to try to change her mind, it will help me accept her fate. Still, before you go, listen closely—I have a few parting words for you.”

Jaina felt a sharp knot clench in her stomach, and she tried not to shiver as she nodded and listened. She desperately hoped that he hadn’t realized that her children were halfbreeds.

“You must take the utmost care of your child,” said Guthix, his voice soft and even. “Always be there for them, cherish them, protect them, comfort them when they need you most, teach them a balanced skillset and impart knowledge to them. Moreover, do not underestimate the importance of their father or take him for granted. He will be a vital part of your child’s life, and can teach them things you might be unable to—the balance you both bring is crucial to their well-being. Love and understand him always, and support him in his times of need as he would support you—even when you fight or disagree, do not despair or turn against him. Your family needs you to stay strong, and for your unconditional love to endure through thick and thin.”

She nodded, surprisingly comforted by his words. Of course, she was already going to do that anyway, and she doubted he would have said it if he knew they were part Mahjarrat.

“Yes, Guthix, I will,” she said graciously, curtsying one last time. “I thank you for your help.”

She rubbed the key again and hurried back to the surface above. The elves would be anxious to hear of her findings—and Coeli must be feeling lonely waiting for her, too.

~***~

“There—that’s where I need to go!” She pointed to the cave entrance atop the falls, and the griffin squawked and flew closer. Jaina was extremely glad she had Coeli’s help now; attempting to traverse the rushing river to reach the cave on foot would have been too risky for her babies.

Coeli was very cautious about letting her dismount just outside the cave entrance. “Dangerous inside?” she asked. “Be careful…”

“Don’t worry, I will be,” said Jaina, hugging her feathered neck. “I’ll return soon! Thank you so much for your help.”

Coeli gave a happy chirp and nuzzled her, and then flew up to rest above the cave. Jaina headed inside and proceeded to make her way through the small cavern, wondering if Arianwyn had already arrived or if she would need to wait for him to catch up.

She got her answer when she came upon the treasure room and spotted him at the other end, beside two ornate statues that she didn’t remember having been there on her first visit. Had they perhaps been concealed behind a rock face before? Either way, he must have uncovered them…

She hurried over to the statues, and Arianwyn nodded in her direction. “You made it—the journey did not put too much stress on you or your child, I hope?”

Jaina shook her head. “My griffin friend was kind enough to fly us here.”

She turned to look at the statues more closely. One was recognizable as Queen Glarial, looking exactly like the statue of her in Prifddinas. The other sort of resembled an elven Santa Claus, possessing a portly figure and a thick beard; the ornate robe and crown indicated that it must be King Baxtorian. His expression was melancholy, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes… tears that looked too realistic for a mere statue…

“Is that…” she whispered. “Did he…?”

Arianwyn nodded. “Allow me.”

Chanting loudly in a strange tongue, he cast an odd spell at the statue, and in a flash of light it became the elven king, dressed in rich forest green robes and still regal-looking despite his old age. Baxtorian blinked, seemingly dazed, and then a hopeful smile spread across his lined face.

“Glarial? My Glarial, you—” He trailed off, his smile fading as he stared at Arianwyn. “Ah, it was too much to hope for… I should have known. Is there at least news?”

Arianwyn explained that the elven civil war was over and that Prifddinas had been restored, and the king nodded quietly. “Hmmm, perhaps now is the right time to return—oh!” He turned his gaze to Jaina. “Who is the human?”

She quickly curtsied. “I am Jaina Katarn of Lumbridge, and it’s an honor to meet you!”

“Honor?” Baxtorian shook his head. “Perhaps not; I do not deserve that reverence. But your name… hmmm, interesting indeed!”

“How do you mean?” Arianwyn asked. “Do you believe she has blood ties to our clan? I had thought her name a mere coincidence.”

“Hardly,” Baxtorian remarked, closing his eyes pensively. “During my reign, some of the most faithful human servants who worked in the palace did take on the Cadarn name, as many had no family name before the kingdom was established. Most humans had a good deal of trouble pronouncing our names, however… that may well be from where your family originated, even if you do not necessarily have elven blood!”

Jaina blinked curiously. “My aunt was interested in our family history, and is likely still looking into it. She believed we had ancestry in Kandarin, though as far as I know, my father’s family lived in Misthalin for the entire Fifth Age. Then again, I never really thought about it too much!”

“Whatever her ancestry,” Arianwyn chimed in, “if not for her help, I would not now stand before you as Lord Cadarn. Her assistance was vital to the defeat of the Iorwerth and the freedom of Prifddinas.”

He proceeded to regale Baxtorian with the story of how that had happened, and when he had finished, the old king smiled. “So you achieved what I could not—in this case, the honor of the meeting is mine.”

“Anyway,” Arianwyn said, “we are here because Prifddinas needs your help. We need to restore Seren, and we need the shard of her held by the military. Might you know where it is?”

Baxtorian smiled and chuckled. “Indeed, I have kept it close to me for the past few centuries. If you are reforging Seren, I would be a part of that. I trust you know the Song of Restoration?”

Jaina blinked in confusion. “The what?”

Shaking his head and frowning, Baxtorian explained that it was the song that would be needed to reforge Seren, and that he could only remember parts of it at the moment. “But that is a bridge we will cross when we come to it—for now, I promised you a shard,” he said, turning to look at the statue of Glarial sadly. “I hid it close to me, with a form I would defend at all costs.”

Sighing reluctantly, he dispelled the statue, revealing a large crystal waiting there. “Take the shard. I will return to Prifddinas.”

“Jaina, you should carry it for now,” Arianwyn said. “I’ll take it from you when we return to the Tower. Is your griffin friend waiting for you outside?”

Jaina nodded, tucking the shard carefully into her bag. “Yes, I hope I haven’t worried her!”

“You’ve befriended a griffin?” Baxtorian asked, smiling wistfully. “They have been so rarely seen since the God Wars, choosing to conceal themselves in the mountains, away from human and elven eyes… I managed to befriend a few back in the day, and it was not an easy feat!”

Jaina wondered what those griffins might have been like, but she should wait to ask until after Seren was put back together. “Oh, do you wish to meet my friend?”

“I should like to, yes,” Baxtorian replied. “There is time enough to permit it.”

He and Arianwyn followed behind Jaina as she made her way back outside the cave. Coeli, who had been watching the entrance from above, squawked as she spotted her and flew down to greet her.

Jaina moved to hug her, and Baxtorian bowed his head. “Pleasant day to you, noble griffin! It is heartening to see you grace the skies.”

Coeli merely squawked as if to say hello, eyeing the chubby elven king warily. Placing a comforting hand on her neck, Jaina softly stroked her feathers. “He said hello—and we found the last shard we need!”

Coeli nodded proudly, nuzzling her. “Then we return to elven city now!”

She urged Jaina to climb back on, and the adventurer waved to the two elves. “We’ll meet you back at the Tower shortly!”

They waved back as Coeli took off, and Jaina saw them teleporting as the griffin flew westward. She couldn’t help but wonder silently how Eluned was faring—it was unfathomable to try to imagine what it would be like to learn you were an avatar of a goddess after so many years. How had Eluned never realized it before? If she was a shard, didn’t that mean Seren had created her and Haluned fully formed, in the shape of adult elves, and that she’d never had a childhood? Had she always been ignorant of the fact—and had Seren known? Had she ever used her as a scout, the way she had with Haluned? Had the goddess been too wrapped up in trying to free the elves from their need for her to realize what had happened with Eluned? It was all so absurdly outlandish that it couldn’t be anything but real.

Seren had always been confusing and difficult to know what to make of, but did even putting her back together have to be confusing and complicated too? Well, at least all the shards were accounted for now. Jaina could only hope whatever stress it would cause her wouldn’t put a strain on the babies as well.

~***~

Four large shards floated quietly in the center of the tower, sunlight reflecting off their pale blue facets to make the stained glass windows sparkle brightly. It was soothing to watch, and Jaina couldn’t help but wish her children could see the mesmerizing sight. “You should see all the pretty colors,” she whispered to her stomach.

“Wait,” Lord Iorwerth spoke up, eyeing the shards uncertainly. “There is one other…”

Several of the leaders gasped, and Arianwyn frowned deeply. “Surely you don’t mean—”

“Yes.” Lord Iorwerth nodded gravely. “The Dark Lord was a shard of Seren—what if there is a part of it left?”

How was that possible? It had been thoroughly destroyed, Jaina recalled, blasted into nothingness—and it had seemed to be made mainly of shadows. On the other hand, could a shard of Seren have completely transformed itself into vapor and shadow? She had somehow managed to create not one but two convincing elves out of parts of herself, and divine crystal and human-like flesh couldn’t be more different in texture and composition… On the other other hand, divine crystal and flesh were both solid, and shadows weren’t…

Eluned shifted uneasily. “Surely we couldn’t include that part in the restoration!”

“Guthix said we need all the major shards of Seren, yes?” Lord Iorwerth pointed out. “What if that includes Haluned—and perhaps even Eluned?”

Eluned turned pale, trembling where she stood, and Jaina couldn’t help but shiver as well. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like for her, how terrifying the thought of her potential fate might be—did she feel the way the Mahjarrat chosen as Ritual sacrifices might’ve felt in the face of their demises? Well, returning to Seren technically wasn’t death or annihilation, but would any trace of Eluned remain?

“Jaina, you should go and speak to Morvran,” Lord Iorwerth said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “He’ll be able to let you into the Grand Library to search for any remnants of the Dark Lord.”

Jaina nodded and hurried towards the staircase, but she couldn’t help glancing back at Eluned. Should she try to comfort her, cheer her up somehow? Would she be able to help at all if she did? What could she even possibly say?

Eluned seemed to notice her, and shook her head. “Don’t worry about me yet,” she said, her voice quavering slightly. “For now we should deal with the Dark Lord.”

“A-alright—I’ll be right back!” The adventurer headed down the stairs and just outside the Tower, where Coeli was waiting. The griffin flew after her as she made her way through the Iorwerth district.

As she approached the center of the plaza where Morvran stood, the slayer master glanced up at her and looked her over disapprovingly. “You’re in no condition to attempt my challenge right now,” he stated bluntly, “and I’d best not be giving you a task either.”

“That’s not what I’m here for,” Jaina pointed out, shaking her head uneasily. “The clan elders told me you have access to the Grand Library through your arena.”

“What—oh, so they know?” Morvran sighed and grumbled incomprehensibly. “Keeping tabs on me again—but why do you need to go there?”

Before Jaina had a chance to explain, Coeli gave a sharp warning screech and glared daggers in Morvran’s direction. The slayer master’s eyes grew wide as he stumbled backwards, and he had to fall back into a pillar for support so he could get up again.

“Fine, fine,” he muttered as he stood up, pointedly avoiding looking at Coeli. “I’ll take you down there; just keep your griffin under control!”

He led her down a discreet staircase and around the upper tier of his arena, and Coeli followed closely behind. A few elves who were standing on the balcony gasped in surprise and turned to stare at the griffin as the group passed by.

“Through there.” Morvran gestured to a door at the end of the balcony. “Make sure your griffin behaves and doesn’t make a mess! The elders shall be most displeased if feathers or droppings get left on the Grand Library floor.”

Jaina nodded stiffly and proceeded down to the Grand Library, glancing back at Coeli as she did. It was fortunate indeed that she wouldn’t have understood that.

The library was dimly lit with a soft blue glow, and the silence in the chamber was unsettling. As she looked around, Jaina couldn’t help but shiver and wish she had worn a cape or something with an overcoat today.

“Strange cave,” chirped Coeli, looking around in confusion. “What we here for?”

“A piece of the elves’ goddess that might not even still be here,” Jaina replied, carefully checking the floor with every step. “I’m not sure I want to find it…”

“Why?”

“It was…” What was the word she needed? “…corrupted. Seren… cast it out, so she wouldn’t harm anyone… but… it had a mind of its own, and it did do terrible things…”

Coeli tilted her head, looking puzzled. “It still dangerous?”

“I don’t know…” As she continued her search, Jaina hoped more and more that she wouldn’t find anything—how could she possibly decide what to do if she did? Would it be worse to leave it out, or worse to put it back in? Surely Seren wouldn’t start murdering elves left and right if it was included? Surely she would want to atone?

Her hopes were dashed when she noticed a small sparkle in a corner, and she reluctantly headed over to get a closer look. A single, blackened crystal lay quietly there, not having fallen far from the pit around the chamber’s edges. It must have been flung over here by the blast from the Dark Lord’s demise…

Jaina picked it up to look it over, and she froze the moment her hand touched it, a thought suddenly occuring to her. Her children… Seren would know! If Zaros could sense them, then so could Seren, and she would know immediately that they were half Mahjarrat.

Seren likely would go out of her way not to hurt the elves anymore, Dark Lord or no Dark Lord… but her ancient memories had shown her to be disgusted and contemptuous towards the Mahjarrat, and there was no way of knowing how much that had changed since she’d met the elves and come to Gielinor. If the elves had suffered so greatly because of the Dark Lord… might putting it in make Seren more hostile towards—or more inclined to mean harm to—the children? Would she regain the fascination with death that the Dark Lord had had? Would she attack Jaina in order to mortally wound the children the moment she sensed a Mahjarrat presence? Would she put on a façade of kindness for Jaina, but still secretly mean them harm? Would she tell the elves that the children were too dangerous to live and demand that they have them ripped from the womb and destroyed before they could grow into violent tyrants?

Uttering a choked sob, Jaina tried to dispel the horrible thoughts from her mind, but to no avail. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks, and she was unable to hold back the sharp wail that seemed to echo throughout the library chamber as it escaped her throat.

Coeli squawked in alarm and rushed over to Jaina’s side. “What happened? You hurt?”

“I-I…” The mage turned to look at her companion and sobbed quietly for a long moment. When she did manage to speak, she did so in the common tongue, unable to recall any Infernal words at the moment. “My babies… Seren… she’ll know they’re… what will… what if… I couldn’t… I…”

She let out another agonized wail and collapsed into the griffin’s feathered chest, still clutching the dark shard tightly. Quietly Coeli wrapped her wings around her in a gentle embrace, softly cooing some kind of Infernal hymn—or lullaby, it was hard to tell—and nuzzling her forehead.

The song and the warmth of the hug were comforting, and Jaina relaxed a little, her sobs growing quieter as she returned the embrace. She couldn’t help but be reminded of Azzanadra, although the warmth lacked the magical quality that he had.

Finally she looked up, weakly wiping her nose on her wet hanky. “I-I didn’t mean to worry you… I think I can think more clearly now…”

Slowly and clearly she explained her worries, and Coeli eyed the shard warily. “I not know best here,” she chirped, “but you must be cautious! Not risk lives of little ones.”

Jaina nodded and stood up, looking the shard over. On the one hand, so much of Seren couldn’t be returned because it was comprising Prifddinas, so she might need the dark shard more than she otherwise would’ve… no, the risk wasn’t worth it. She couldn’t afford to gamble with the lives of her children—she had to know for sure that Seren would not harm them. If the dark shard was truly necessary, it could probably be reincorporated later—if the goddess could remove and reshape parts of her body at will, then she would be able to put pieces back in with relative ease, right?

Carefully she set the shard back on the floor, along the wall and further away from the pit so it wouldn’t accidentally fall in. She would have to tell the clan leaders she hadn’t found anything—and she could only desperately hope that Seren wouldn’t come back wrong or feel any ill will towards her children.

~***~

“So, this is it, then...?” The raven-haired elf took a step back, visibly trembling all over. “I’m scared… I-I… don’t want to go…”

Jaina could feel her own shivers intensifying, and she hugged her stomach, staring at the floating shards. The uncertainty of how Seren would react to sensing her children, whether she’d bring it up in front of the elves, whether she would be coherent or still addled from so long being shattered—it was all confusing and unnerving enough, and seeing Eluned like this only strengthened the feelings, the worries. She didn’t know what to make of this situation at all…

“It will be a noble sacrifice,” Lady Hefin said. “Seren and you will both be whole again!”

“Have you not felt incomplete all your life, Eluned?” Lord Amlodd added. “That you were part of something greater?”

“Wait just a minute there,” Lord Crwys said firmly, his voice projecting more than usual. “Eluned is her own self now; she has every right to remain as she is. Who’s to say that forcing her to sacrifice herself would not make matters worse?”

“The old tree is right.” Lady Trahaearn nodded slowly. “I’ve lived long enough to see the dangers of absolutes! Let Eluned keep the life she has earned; Seren was complete without her before and she doesn’t need her to be complete now.”

Lord Iorwerth shook his head. “Seren must be made whole again—we cannot risk her being incomplete! The absence of the Dark Lord may already pose great risks…”

Eluned’s eyes darted warily around the room, her gaze finally coming to rest on Jaina. “I’m scared, but I will do my duty if I must… Jaina?”

The purple-haired girl stared blankly back at her. “You want me to tell you what you should do?”

Eluned nodded. “I am sorry for making it yours, but I trust your decision.”

Jaina felt her jaw lock shut. What was she supposed to say? Why did Eluned expect her to make this decision? She had no way of knowing if Seren really needed her, or even would want her back—the fact she had her own identity might’ve been intentional on Seren’s part. Besides, telling someone so frightened to go willingly towards potential oblivion wouldn’t be much different from killing her in cold blood. Well, it wouldn’t technically be killing her, but… oh, this was so confusing!

“I can’t make decisions about your life for you,” she finally said. “I don’t know what to make of any of this—all I know to tell you is to consider what you truly want!”

“I…” Eluned frowned, looking down at her hands. There was dead silence in the chamber for what seemed to be forever as she stood stone still… and then at last she sank to the floor, sobbing softly. “I-I can’t do it… I don’t want to go!”

“It’s settled, then,” Baxtorian declared. “Let the ceremony begin—Seren, hear this song and be restored!”

The voices of the clan elders rose in song, reverberating throughout the tower, and Jaina did her best to sing along. A bright, blinding light shone in the center of the chamber, causing Jaina to have to shield her eyes—and when it had faded, the crystal goddess lay before them, fully formed once more… but strangely very different.

The statues of Seren around the city had shown her as a simple, yet elegant humanoid figure with a rounded crest on her head, appearing to be unclothed except for her middle. Now the goddess had a pointed, conical growth on her head and pointed ears that hadn’t been there before. She appeared to be wearing a long, intricate, blue floor-length gown, and her eight eyes were closed as if she were asleep.

Jaina was vaguely aware of the clan elders talking worriedly, but she couldn’t pay them any heed at the moment. A voice seemed to be whispering in her ear, soft and grandmotherly, but also frantic; she knew it was Seren. The voice urged her to hurry, to return to the world that had given Seren life, and the adventurer had already realized what that meant before Eluned spoke up. “I—I can’t explain it, but for some reason I know you need to go to Freneskae…”

Jaina could only continue to stare at Seren’s prone form. Could she really do this, risk her children’s lives to save Seren? What would even have to be done on Freneskae to fix whatever was wrong with her? How was she going to get Seren there anyway? The goddess obviously couldn’t walk at the moment, and even a magic bag couldn’t fit her inside—and trying to stuff a deity in a bag would be both ridiculous and disrespectful. Was there truly no other way?

“I-I’ve been there before,” she said quietly. “It’s very dangerous there, and you have to be quick and agile to survive the lightning storms… Tarddiad was risky enough in my current state, but this will be even more so…”

Arianwyn frowned, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Jaina, but if you know the hazards of that world where we do not, you have a greater chance of survival than we do. You still have powerful magic at your disposal and can defend yourself, yes?”

“And you are rather quick and light on your feet,” Lady Hefin added. “You are early enough along that your child will not hamper your movements too greatly! Please, Seren needs you—it’s urgent!”

“I-I understand; I’ll do what I must…” Jaina nodded reluctantly, standing up straighter and trying to look confident. “I won’t let any harm come to any of us!”

She adjusted her bag and hurried down the steps so that she could inform Coeli what was going on. She would have to prepare thoroughly and be quick about it; who knew what would happen to Seren if she dawdled or took too long? And the griffin definitely could not come with her… Silently she prayed for the strength and courage she would need to accomplish such a hazardous and difficult feat.

~***~

“Can you believe it, little ones? We’re in a new world… again!” She quickly darted away from an oncoming lightning bolt. “Not just any new world, either—this is your father’s homeland!”

She tried to catch her breath, coughing from the smoke in the air, but didn’t dare stop moving forward. “It’s not a friendly place… it’s very dark, and very scary, and—” she had to cough again— “hard to breathe in, and—” quickly she dodged another lightning bolt—“everything’s out to get you, it seems… I don’t know how anyone could stand to live here! Your father misses it, but… I think it’s really scary… but it’s a familiar, interesting kind of scary. Not like the elves’ homeworld…”

Indeed, for all of the terrors and harshness of Freneskae, it was at least familiar, had a rich history, and was where her god and her beloved had come from—and its dangers were quite clear to anyone who beheld it. Tarddiad, on the other hand, was a land of deceiving looks, with those insane shapeshifters lurking behind the lush leaves and sparkling crystals. Jaina wasn’t sure if it had always been a land of deceiving looks, but one of the journals left there implied that it had been—perhaps there had been other monsters that terrorized the elves before Seren met them, not just the one the journal spoke of.

Steeling herself, she pressed on, trying not to let her already sore arms falter. The landscape of Freneskae was hardly easy to traverse, even on flat, solid ground, but having to carry a goddess made it a thousand times worse. For a deity that embodied the aspect of light, Seren was certainly very heavy, and it had been a struggle for Jaina to even lift her.

“I hope you two don’t get too big too quickly,” she muttered, quickly skirting around a lava vent before it could erupt. “I’m not very good at lifting heavy stuff, like rocks or swords or goddesses… but your father can do that with ease!” Coughing, she shifted her arms slightly, still making sure to hold Seren steady. “Too heavy… but I’m not going to slow down or drop her… we can make it… I won’t let anything happen to you! Promise!”

The weight was taking its toll on her, and soon she could feel the rest of her starting to ache along with her arms. She wanted to desperately to pause and catch her breath, but she had to go on, stay vigilant for the lightning… if she could just make it to Zaros’ sanctum…

“When we get back—ah!” She narrowly evaded a lightning bolt. It was starting to hurt to talk now… “When we get back, I should ask your father about what growing up here was like, what his childhood was like! He always has fascinating stories to tell, but I haven’t heard many about his life before Zaros yet…”

She trailed off, coughing; her throat hurt too much to say anymore. Her eyes were watery from the smoky air, and it was getting harder and harder to see. How much further did she have to go? It hurt to walk, her arms felt like they might give out any moment, and she barely had any energy left to run… it wasn’t that much further, was it? She had to make it, had to not waver before she did… She couldn’t let them be harmed…

At last the great door to the sanctum stood before her, just as she felt about to fall over—the sight of it in the smoky darkness filled her with resolve enough to continue, and she focused the last of her strength into rushing up to it and pushing quickly inside. No sooner had she gotten inside than her arms faltered from the weight and Seren fell to the floor, moaning incoherently.

The last thing Jaina heard before her legs gave way and she fell face forward was the sound of the door slamming shut behind her, leaving her safely within the sanctum’s walls—and then she knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, mostly treading familiar quest ground in this part! At least I've introduced a variable that makes things very different... Emotional turmoil is the name of the game here--well, "Sixth Age" is just another way to spell emotional turmoil anyway, but pregnancy hormones take it up to eleven! Aren't hormonal freakouts great? Of course, they were over sensible things--I maintain that Jaina is perfectly justified in being upset with Guthix.
> 
> You know, I actually didn't plan on the whole coincidence with Jaina's name at all--I named her after two characters from the Star Wars expanded universe, not thinking that her name would sound like one of the elven clans! So I had to address that coincidence--and I wanted to make it clear that she doesn't actually have elven blood, because I think having her be anything but human diminishes her accomplishments.
> 
> I freely admit that I really don't like Morvran, although that is more for gameplay reasons than for character reasons. And I don't think Jaina knows Eluned all that well, either...
> 
> I'm not sure if leaving Tarddiad offscreen is leaving too much out, but not much happens in that part--it would've just been Jaina being terrified of the shapeshifters attacking her and worrying that Angof would snap and go crystal crazy any second. She would have found the ring on the first shifter to attack her--I don't think she'll be going back to Tarddiad anytime soon, and as far as helping the shifters goes, that is more a part of Eluned's arc; Jaina currently has too many bigger fish to fry on Gielinor to be able to worry too much about the shifters.
> 
> Only one more part to go!


	4. Chapter 4

“Wake up…”

She was only half aware of a cold, hard hand on her head as she slowly came to, still lingering in a halfway state between consciousness and unconsciousness. Stirring slightly from the sudden chill, she slowly, shakily raised her head and opened her weary eyes.

“Get up, World Guardian.” The tall, robed figure before her took her by the shoulders and lifted her up so that she was sitting on the floor, his icy hands radiating a strong power.

Jaina stretched and groaned, rubbing her eyes to clear the daze. Her legs still hurt too much to stand, and her arms were aching even more. As she looked up at the towering figure, she uttered a small gasp and couldn’t help but shudder.

“My—my lord!” She scrambled to try to get onto one knee, but only ended up falling on her side and had to quickly sit back up again. “I didn’t expect—”

“You fool,” Zaros snapped, his tone unusually stern. “You exposed yourself and your children to great danger by coming here, and you put Seren in needless danger as well.”

“What?” Jaina drew back, shivering in worry. “I—I didn’t mean…”

“You know you lack physical strength, and your foolish attempt to rely on it combined with your current state merely exacerbated the toll on your body.” The god sounded strangely tense—he was definitely angry, though his voice remained eerily level and quiet. “Did you not think at all before you acted?”

Jaina inched back even further, an icy chill surging down her spine. An angry god would always be a fearsome force to contend with, but seeing Zaros upset was even more terrifying. “I—I didn’t know what I had to do, just that I needed to bring Seren here…”

“Then you should not have acted so rashly,” Zaros pointed out, still managing to maintain that unsettling tranquil coldness of voice. “You should have consulted Azzanadra about the matter—I would have come to your aid immediately.”

Jaina sat up straighter, her eyes widening. Of course—why hadn’t she thought of that? There was no reason she couldn’t have cast the Contact spell while packing her bag, and it had been terrible of her to risk her life and the children’s without even telling Azzanadra anything. “I—I’m sorry, my lord,” she whispered meekly, looking down at the floor. “You’re right—I haven’t got a good excuse. I shouldn’t have been so stupid…”

Her gaze strayed to Seren, who was curled up on the floor beside the memoriam device, muttering feverishly. “But what’s here that can help Seren? Her body’s intact, but something isn’t right…”

“Her soul.” Zaros glanced over at Seren as well, and Jaina could’ve sworn he sounded a little bit sorrowful. “That is the problem—her soul, too, was shattered in her sundering, and now must be reforged as well. It can be accomplished in the Elder Halls—I will teleport you directly there; you will not be able to make the journey on foot. Once I show you how, I must depart—and you must not tell her of my involvement.”

Jaina nodded, slowly and carefully trying to stand up. “Yes, my lord. I-I don’t mean to keep you!”

Zaros shook his head. “No, the reason I cannot stay is because of the effect we have on one another; I yearn for her even as she is now.” He sounded physically pained as he said that. “If she were to be restored in my presence, neither of us would be able to control ourselves.”

Jaina glanced quietly down at her hands. She couldn’t imagine what that must be like, to be stuck with a permanent sort of love potion effect just by being near someone. As dreadful as the effects of love potion were, at least those wore off after awhile.

“My lord, I’m… that… No one should be forced to love anyone like that…”

“Indeed.” Lifting up Seren with ease, Zaros held her securely to his chest and beckoned to Jaina. “Let us not waste any time; I shall take you to the Halls now.”

She nodded and stepped closer, and in a flash they were teleported to the Elder Halls. Zaros floated towards the rift in the center and carefully positioned Seren over it so that she lay suspended, and a beam of white light shone from the goddess as rings of ethereal crystal shards appeared around her.

Floating over to Jaina, Zaros gestured to the sight and instructed her on how to redirect the beam of light into the shards. She nodded in understanding, and he nodded as well and floated further away from the center of the chamber. “I leave you to this task now. Tell her nothing of this—and when you leave, it must be via teleportation. She will likely offer it, but you must be prepared to do so yourself if need be.”

With that he vanished, and Jaina hesitated, staring at the wisps drifting aimlessly around the Halls, before approaching the rift. She couldn’t help but worry that Zaros would still be angry with her later… and, of course, there was also the question of how Seren would react to sensing the children. Would she be angry or frightened? Would she chastise Jaina for it? Would she worry that their father might pose a threat to the elves or something?

“I wish I knew what to expect,” she murmured to her stomach, and set to work trying to direct the beam of light. “This is all so confusing, but you two really need me to know what I’m doing, don’t you?”

It took her awhile to figure out, but eventually she managed to redirect the light correctly four times, with Seren stirring more each time. After the fourth time, the ethereal shards floated towards Seren, seeming to be absorbed into her. The crystal goddess slowly opened her eyes and glided up and onto her feet, blinking rapidly.

“I… I am… returned…” She steadied herself and looked around the halls, her gaze finally falling on Jaina as she gasped. “What? You… the children you carry…!”

Jaina stepped back, wrapping her hands protectively around her stomach. “Please, my lady, do not hurt them! They’ve done no wrong!”

“Do not be afraid, Jaina Katarn of Lumbridge—I mean you no harm.” Seren’s voice was warm and grandmotherly, and her eyes sparkled brightly. “I thank you for your help, and for keeping the darkness away from me as well. It was a corrupting influence, that tainted my choices with fear and even prejudice—but now it is gone and I can focus on…” She hesitated, looking confused. “Er… what’s the word again?”

The adventurer only slightly lowered her hands, not wanting to let her guard down. “The future?”

“Yes, that’s it—the future! I can put the darkness of my past behind me and focus on the future.” Seren’s eyes sparkled hopefully, but then she suddenly tensed up, the brightness of her face fading. “Ah, speaking of darkness, I sense my brother’s lingering presence… He was here, wasn’t he? Zaros…”

Jaina shifted uncomfortably. How had she managed to sense Zaros if he had already left? Did he leave some kind of godly residue wherever he went? And she couldn’t say yes, either…

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Oh Zaros, could she have sounded any more unconvincing?

Seren seemed to visibly twitch. “Why do you feel the need to lie?”

Jaina frowned, staring at one of the wisps as it drifted past. Would answering that truthfully be breaking her promise? She didn’t want to anger Zaros more than she already had with her folly… on the other hand, she indeed hadn’t told Seren about it, and Seren probably wouldn’t be as hostile to her as some others might for admitting she followed him…

“It was my lord’s wish that I not speak of his involvement here, nor that I tell any but the faithful of his return,” she said quietly. “I think it’s reasonable that I honor that wish.”

“Has he really done anything to inspire such loyalty in you?” Seren’s face was difficult to read, and it was hard to tell if her tone was one of worry, anger, or confusion. “You are free to follow who you wish, of course, but you must be careful. Know this of my brother—he is loyal only to himself. He would let entire worlds burn if it would get him a step closer to his ultimate goal.”

What sort of thing had made her think that? Zaros had created a lot more than he had destroyed—he had brought knowledge and culture to many different people, and even managed to create a thriving society where many different races lived side by side, which no other god had accomplished. It was Saradomin and Zamorak who had done the majority of the destruction the world had seen—shouldn’t Seren understand that Zaros had done far more good for Gielinor than bad? Or had she simply never gotten over his leaving Freneskae, even now?

“I know you knew him before I did,” Jaina finally said, a little shakily, “but I believe my lord means the best for Gielinor, for the universe, and that his teachings are good for mortals to live by. I do not follow him blindly.”

“Are you so sure of that?” Seren stared at her quietly. “Perhaps it is better that I show you.”

She laid a hand on her head, and a vision overcame Jaina—she could see Zaros and Seren standing on the top of the volcano beside Mah’s sleeping form. Zaros was expressing his frustrations with being enslaved to Mah, and his voice was stressed, agonized—far less calm and level than it was now, indeed, far less calm and level than he’d been earlier. As the scene went on, he spoke of his wish to leave and explore the universe, which Seren was less than enthused about, and when he mentioned wanting to realize his potential and become an Elder God, she was very opposed to that idea.

As the vision faded, Jaina quietly glanced down at her hands, shivering a little. Seeing her god, a being she looked up to who was more powerful than she could imagine, so tormented, so distraught… that was more than a little disconcerting. Did Seren think him cruel and heartless just because he had left her and Mah—because he hadn’t wanted to be a slave? Couldn’t she understand now how dreadful it must have been for them both? Didn’t she realize that he wouldn’t be quite the same after ages upon ages of exploring the universe and meeting new mortal races?

“You see, all Zaros cares about is power.” Seren stared as if expecting a protest, but the adventurer merely blinked. A long moment of awkward silence passed before the goddess finally sighed and shook her head. “Come—Freneskae is no place for civilized conversation, or for a pregnant human. Join me in the Tower of Voices, so that I may address my people, and then we shall speak further.”

Taking Jaina by the sleeve, she teleported them both to the Tower of Voices. The clan leaders, Baxtorian, and Eluned each dropped to one knee as the tower chamber came into view, and Jaina stepped back to remove the scarf she’d tied around her face to protect from the smoke.

She was too worried to pay much attention as Seren addressed the elven leaders—whatever the goddess intended to speak to her about, it would likely involve her children, and possibly her allegiance as well. Even if Seren truly didn’t mean them harm, that didn’t necessarily mean she wouldn’t be disapproving or lecture her extensively—and if she didn’t realize Zaros wouldn’t be the same after several ages, she might also think the Mahjarrat would be exactly the same now as they’d been on Freneskae.

“I will not leave you, not again, but I will not lead you,” Seren was saying. “I shall remain here in the tower, where you can find me, but where I shall be… apart from you. My song will continue to affect the city from here; I owe you that much—but I shall be your servant, rather than the other way around. Let me, here and now, recognize this council as the true leadership of the elven people—and let me also recognize Jaina Katarn of Lumbridge as a champion of Prifddinas.”

Everyone nodded solemnly and gave Jaina proud smiles, but when Seren glanced over at her, the look in her eyes was serious, concerned even. Turning back to the leaders again, the goddess spoke once more. “I must also ask all of you to leave us for now—I would speak with her personally.”

There was a chorus of “yes, my lady” and several bows and curtsies before the elves filed towards the staircase. As the lords and ladies departed, Baxtorian and Eluned both stopped and turned to Jaina.

“Come and see me on the northeast balcony below when your audience with Seren is finished,” the former king said, smiling warmly. “You are worthy of recognition and have merited a reward for all you’ve done—there is much I wish to teach you.”

“She’s back, and I’m… I’m still me…” Eluned shifted awkwardly, an uncertain half-smile crossing her face. “None of this would’ve been possible without you… I can’t ever hope to repay you, but perhaps I could help others in your honor. I… just wanted you to know how grateful I am…”

Jaina smiled shakily at both of them. “Very well… and, uh, you’re welcome…”

Both of them nodded and headed downstairs, and Seren beckoned. “Let us speak of the children in your womb,” she said, her gaze falling squarely on Jaina’s stomach. “Were you accosted and overpowered?”

At first Jaina was confused, but she couldn’t help but gasp as she realized what that meant. “What? No!” She shook her head emphatically. “It wasn’t… He wouldn’t have…” She took a deep breath, straightening her shoulders. She had to stay calm, be respectful and polite, but also as firm and honest as she could be. “I was with their father because I wished to be.”

Seren stared at her with a rather baffled look, and an awkward silence filled the chamber. “Were you purposefully trying to conceive a half-Mahjarrat?” she finally asked. “Why would you seek to do that?”

The purple-haired adventurer blinked uneasily. “Actually, they took me rather by surprise…”

“I do not think you realize what you have gotten yourself into,” Seren said gravely. “I have seen how the children of Mah mate and raise their offspring—births were difficult and very draining on mothers, and those who were especially weak after giving birth were often deemed unfit to raise their own children and sacrificed. Assuming all three of you survive the birth, the father may see no more use for you, or deem you an unfit mother by virtue of your humanity. Alternatively he may reject and abandon the children, leaving you alone to care for them.”

Was she going to assume the absolute worst for everything? Jaina quickly bit her lip so she wouldn’t blurt anything out recklessly, and took another deep breath before she spoke. “If he intended to do that, why would he and his brothers bother to look out for and support me? They seem greatly concerned about the well-being of the first of their kind to be conceived in many years.”

“Perhaps, but that does not necessarily mean that concern extends to you.” Sighing, Seren shook her head. “Whatever their father does or does not do, they will not be easy to look after… but do not despair! While their Mahjarrat half may make them more predisposed to violence, so does their human half make them more predisposed to kindness and compassion. You must be very nurturing and supportive of them as they grow, and clearly teach them what is right and wrong! Let them see the beauty of the world around them and show them how to live in harmony with it, and encourage them to use their magic for noble purposes.”

Her gaze seemed to grow warmer. “The three of you are always welcome in Prifddinas—should you need asylum, I encourage you to return here, stay awhile. Your children will be happy and healthy growing up within these peaceful walls, and they will face no hostility from the elves here either.”

Jaina blinked uncertainly. “Are you asking me to keep them away from their father… or to abandon my lord?” She turned pale, taking a nervous step back. “I can’t… I won’t betray him, or my beloved… that would be heartless, and only make everything worse…”

“I cannot force you to do anything,” Seren pointed out. “I am simply advising you to keep your options open, and not to put blind faith in my brother. Would he have taken an interest in you were you not the World Guardian? Remember, Zaros always has an agenda. Think carefully about where you might sit within it; you are not bound to him.”

“Nor am I bound to Guthix,” Jaina immediately countered. “I have no desire to strive for a godless Gielinor; that would be foolish and impossible, and I don’t believe he was right about a godless world being ideal. If you want to see blind faith, look no further than those goons who parade around in bedsheets and tacky war paint, claiming that all gods are bad and we need to murder them all! I won’t be swayed—I know what I have chosen and why I have chosen it.”

The goddess looked taken aback, her visible eyes widening. Her voice was quavering a little when she spoke again. “Why, then, have you sworn loyalty to Zaros? I am not entirely sure your loyalties lie with him alone… Does your love for your children’s father play a role?”

“I’ve already explained why,” Jaina replied, her tone still a bit defensive, but shakier. “My love did introduce me to Zaros and his ways, but I would have followed Zaros whether I loved him or not. It was not a decision I made lightly… so many people would turn on me if I dared admit my faith, let alone if they knew of my beloved… The elves are very fortunate to have so much land safely tucked away from the rest of the world, and they aren’t even hated and feared for no good reason.”

Inclining her head, she took another step back. “With all due respect, my lady, I should return to my beloved—he will be anxious as to how the children are faring.”

“Very well; I cannot force you to stay.” Seren nodded a bit sadly. “Return to Prifddinas as often as you wish. I shall be here should you have any questions or concerns, or simply wish to speak further.”

Jaina quietly curtsied before turning to head down the stairs. She hoped Baxtorian would not keep her long—she didn’t want to return to Prifddinas for a long time, or even until she must. Seren might be able to afford to stay in isolation, but she could not—she had to be brave, make a difference, show the world she wasn’t on the side of evil. If she could survive things that should have killed her and play a role in restoring a goddess, she could surely sway the attitudes of the world at large even a little bit, right?

~***~

As soon as the sight of the ruins came into view, she scrambled down the rope to the temple entrance before any of the museum workmen could even look her way. She hurried into the temple proper and very quickly dropped to one knee, getting back up again just as quickly.

The red-haired Mahjarrat slowly turned, clearly having heard her approach. “Your arrival is timely indeed,” he remarked. “I was about to seek you out.”

Jaina blinked and hastily smoothed out her skirt. “Good afternoon, Azzanadra,” she greeted, crossing to his side. “You were looking for me?”

“Yes. My lord has informed me of Seren’s return—as has Coeli, for that matter.” His tone was grave and stern, and his expression was oddly unreadable. “We have much to discuss.”

“I-I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have rushed headlong into danger like that.” Jaina hung her head, staring at the azure tiles on the floor. “I should know better, especially now… there’s no good reason I couldn’t have contacted you magically, and being forgetful isn’t a good reason…”

“Indeed; you must not act so irrationally again—however, you know as much, and there are other matters we must speak of.” Azzanadra was shaking his head, frowning deeply. “I am disappointed that you did not restore Seren fully.”

She stood bolt upright, staring at him. “What?”

“You, of all people, know that we cannot simply cast aside our mistakes and darker impulses,” he pointed out firmly. “With Seren being incomplete, who knows what complications that might have?”

“I… that isn’t why… but…” The adventurer trailed off, quickly trying to collect her thoughts before she spoke again. “I was trying to protect our children! She held the Mahjarrat in contempt as far as I knew, and given what the Dark Lord did, it might’ve made her mean them harm…”

“Did you not also consider the dangers of a god of her power being driven mad by incompleteness?” His raised voice could have made a massive demon warrior tremble in fear. “There are few things as dangerous as that. You may very well have put them—and possibly everyone—at an even greater risk!”

He was angry at her for trying to protect their children? Did he actually think she should’ve valued Seren being “complete” over their lives? Something in her seemed to snap at that moment, and the words were on her tongue before she knew it.

“Do you think I was trying to get them killed?” she shouted back. “Do you expect me to know everything? Me, who didn’t even know who Zaros was for most of my life? Being the World Guardian doesn’t magically make me know absolutely everything about gods! Had I left the dark shard in and something horrible had happened to the children because of that, would you be saying, ‘Oh, at least Seren is complete, you made the right choice?’ If it had encouraged her to turn the elves against the faithful of Zaros, would you be saying, ‘At least she’s complete, you made the right choice?’”

She stopped suddenly and froze, turning deathly pale as she realized what she’d done. Her mouth had instantly dried up, her jaw had locked up tight, and her stomach had a tight, searingly painful cramp. She’d yelled… she’d actually yelled at Azzanadra, of all people.

What had come over her? First she’d been stupid enough to try to carry a heavy goddess through Freneskae while pregnant, and now she’d lashed out at the champion and former high priest of Zaros—and the strongest of the Mahjarrat, too! That was even worse than yelling at or acting discourteous and rude to a king… Worse yet, the children might have been able to hear her so brazenly disrespecting their father like that!

Turning away from him, she buried her face in her hands as the tears started to flow rapidly. “Oh Zaros… I-I can’t believe… what have I done… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry!”

Her voice seemed to echo off the temple walls, and her sobs sounded unbearably loud despite the fact that she was trying to keep quiet. She was swaying back and forth where she stood, shivering uncontrollably all over.

“Jaina?” Azzanadra sounded half baffled, half worried. “What’s going on…”

“I’m sorry!” she wailed, still not looking at him. “I’m sorry I yelled; I-I shouldn’t ever disrespect you like that… I don’t know what came over me!” She blew her nose on a fresh hanky. “I-I think I should go…”

She rushed out the temple entrance and quickly cast a teleport spell, not sure where she was going other than elsewhere. As she cast the spell, she could hear Azzanadra call out “Jaina, wait!” just before the world changed around her.

Finding herself on the snowy slopes of Ice Mountain, Jaina sank down into the snow and wept, tightly hugging her legs in a futile attempt to stay warm. She wasn’t sure if the biting cold that seemed to pervade her whole body was from the mountain weather or her own shock and sadness.

What if Azzanadra was right—what if, in trying to protect the children from the wrath of a powerful goddess, she had only put them more at risk? Would Seren really go insane just from not having the dark shard? Would she go insane from not having most of Prifddinas returned to her, too? How many innocents might die if that happened?

Why, oh why, had she screwed so much up? How could she possibly be trusted with decisions of that caliber if she was just going to make the worst one no matter how hard she tried not to? Never mind the World Guardian matters, how could she even be a good mother?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to her stomach. “I really messed up… if I keep making mistakes that big… how can I be the mother you need me to be? I-I don’t want to get you hurt… I don’t want to hurt your father… I need to be strong for you, know what I’m doing, but I don’t… Oh, little ones, I’m so, so sorry…”

When she finally looked up, having exhausted her tears and rendered her hanky a cold, slimy mess all over, the world around her seemed darker, and the icefiends that wandered the mountain were nowhere to be seen. Had she really been here that long? She didn’t think the sun should have set yet…

Slowly she rose, needing to use her staff for support because of how numb her legs felt. Something looming above caught her eye, and when she turned to look, she could see the ornate towers and buildings of a city, its large main gate just up ahead… but it all seemed to be ethereal, some sort of mirage. A shadowy mirage—and she realized it was likely the imperial city of Lassar.

“Now, now, aren’t you a little underdressed to be here? You do look chilly! I know, I know, ice user, but I’m quite sure you own scarves and warm coats!”

Jaina turned, startled, at the sound of the familiar voice. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw who was there, and she very quickly started to back away, holding her staff defensively in front of her. “S-stay away from me!”

“Predictable as ever, aren’t we, Jaina? It’s always the same with you—no ‘So we meet again, Sliske,’ no ‘Look what the cat dragged in,’ no ‘Time to die, you filthy traitor,’ no ‘What’s a stalker like you doing in a place like this,’ no ‘Good morning, Sliske, how’s the weather in the Barrows’—all you ever say is how you want me to leave you alone!” Laughing, Sliske approached her in a few quick strides. “You really should think of something different to greet me with.”

Jaina scowled, trying not to show her fear. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? Well, perhaps I felt like making snowmen or playing tag with the tiny ice demons, or perhaps the Shadow Realm is just simply lovely this time of year! I’m sure you’ll find it quite lovely to behold, given that dear Bunny Ears told you much about the imperial cities!” Smirking, he motioned to the shadowy city gate, but then his gaze fell on her stomach. “Or perhaps I was looking for you, since I’d really like to know how my little ones are faring!”

“What do you mean, your little ones?” Jaina took a step back, cringing in disgust. “Are you saying—” She shuddered, trying not to think about the implications, and glared darkly. “No! You are not and will never be their father!”

“Ha ha! Look at your face!” Sliske laughed again, his insufferable smug smirk broadening. “You misunderstand me—Azzanadra may be their literal, blood-related father, but I was the one who did all the hard work! I was the one who made it possible for them to be conceived—doesn’t it follow, therefore, that I deserve the credit? That I deserve to be a father to them?”

“No… you sick bastard!” Jaina shook her head, her glare intensifying. “You’re a traitor and a murderer! The only thing you deserve is a slow, painful death!” She wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach. “I don’t want you anywhere near them, ever—you should never be around babies or children of any kind at all!”

Sliske’s eyes suddenly narrowed, his grin immediately fading, and he swiftly seized her by the shoulder roughly enough to make her cry out in pain. “It seems,” he hissed sharply, “that it is no wonder you favor ice magic. You’ve proven that you can be as cold, harsh, and bitter as ice… such a cruel suggestion on your part, that I shouldn’t be around the children I had a hand in creating.”

He tilted her chin up so that she was looking straight into his eyes. “I am a part of your life whether you like it or not, Jaina, and I will be a part of your children’s lives whether you like it or not. Sooner or later you will have to accept that fact, and not even Azzanadra—not even Zaros—will stand in my way!”

He moved his free hand to her belly, stroking it tenderly—well, it might’ve been tender if it weren’t Sliske; instead it was just all kinds of wrong and made her feel disgusted and unclean. She struggled to pull away, but his crushing grip was too strong, and he merely continued to stroke her stomach.

“Ah, Salazar,” he murmured quietly, looking almost wistful as he closed his eyes. “This isn’t quite the same, but it will have to do…”

Jaina didn’t understand what he meant, but she wasn’t inclined to dwell on it at the moment. “Let me go!”

“Why should I oblige you?” he snapped, tightening his grip on her shoulder. “You only wanted to keep these two away from me forever.”

Her mind raced, though she wasn’t sure anything she said would make him listen. Then she felt a small pang of emptiness in her stomach, and the answer came to her. “They’re definitely hungry… Do you really want them to go hungry?”

“Ah yes, I’d forgotten about that… and the Shadow Realm is rather lacking in food, I suppose…” Sliske looked thoughtful, but then he shook his head. “But you don’t seem to be starving or desperate yet! Don’t you carry food with you all the time anyway? You’ll have to think of a better excuse than that.”

The adventurer felt her heart sink, but she couldn’t just give up… she had to think of something, but what? Shivering from the chill air, she pulled her nearly numb hand inside her sleeve in hopes of getting it slightly warmer.

“Oh yes—you are underdressed for the cold, aren’t you?” For a moment, Sliske seemed to have a look of slight concern in his eyes as he looked her over. Then he released her, no longer looking terrifyingly furious, but still quite severe. “Run along now, Jaina—go home, get yourself some much-needed warmth, cook a proper meal, get some rest. I’ll return to check on them eventually!”

With that he teleported off, and Jaina found herself back in the physical realm, with the shadow of Lassar no longer in sight. Under different circumstances she might have wanted to venture back into the Shadow Realm to explore it, but at the moment she didn’t want to do anything besides go home and curl up by the fire. She reached into her bag to shatter a teletab, and when she found herself within the familiar warmth of her house, she thought the place had never felt so inviting.

Almost immediately she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and she nearly stumbled in surprise as she turned around. She let out a gasp at the sight of her lover and stared quietly at him, not saying anything.

Azzanadra frowned deeply as he gazed back at her. “Jaina, what happened to you? You look to have been in a snowy place…”

Jaina merely nodded and wordlessly moved to embrace him, wincing at the lingering pain in her shoulder. She knew she shouldn’t be trying to touch him at the moment, but she desperately needed to be near something warm.

Weakly she looked up, not quite meeting his gaze. “S-Sliske… he… my shoulder…”

“What?” His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he looked her over carefully. “Has he harmed you?”

“Not badly…” She hugged him tighter and rested her head on his shoulder, grateful that he didn’t tower over her nearly so much in human form. “He said… he said he should be considered more their father than you… that he would force his way into their lives… I-I worry he means to kidnap them…”

“I will never allow that to happen, Jaina, and he is a fool to even consider making an enemy of me.” Guiding them both to the floor, Azzanadra positioned her so that she was resting against his chest and set to work examining her, conjuring a greenish aura around his hand as he placed it on her shoulder. The healing magic felt soothing to the touch, and she closed her eyes and relaxed a little against him.

“I do admit I was confused as to why you did not stay angry at me for very long,” he continued as he finished up his healing effort, “but Wahisietel did tell me that human mothers can shift between various moods at the drop of a hat… If you continue to be prone to such emotional turmoil due to your pregnancy, if it affects you this much, it may be time to consider a break from adventuring.”

Jaina tensed up, her eyes widening. “But I don’t want to stay here for six months… I couldn’t, and the neighbors, they’ll… they’ll get very nosy if I stay at home too long…”

“I was not suggesting you confine yourself to your home until the children are born,” Azzanadra pointed out, turning her around so that she faced him. “Indeed, I would not ask you to shut yourself away and become blind to important goings-on. I am merely saying that you should temporarily cease adventuring, any other risky behavior, or becoming involved in matters that are crucial to the world at large as much as you are able. You are still free to travel, but preferably not alone. I must keep a closer eye on you to ensure your safety and the children’s.”

Jaina frowned, worriedly biting her lip. She wasn’t too keen on the idea of trying to avoid adventure, but she also shouldn’t risk the twins’ lives any more than she already had, especially not for her own selfish wishes, and Azzanadra did have a good point. There was one thing that troubled her, though…

“That won’t distract you from your duties too much? I wouldn’t want to needlessly impose on you…”

“My contacts will be checking in on you when I am personally busy,” he said, brushing a loosened strand of hair behind her ear. “Do feel free to let one accompany you wherever you may wish to go.”

The purple-haired mage nodded quietly. “I understand… I’ve already made enough mistakes, and it’s the least I can do to make it up to you to listen and do as you ask.”

Just then she heard a loud growl from her stomach, and couldn’t help but blush in surprise. “Alright, alright, you two, I suppose it is time for dinner!” She softly patted her stomach. “Don’t worry, I’ll get right on it…”

Slowly she rose and headed for the kitchen, and he quietly followed behind her. She dearly hoped that she hadn’t broken his trust in her, and that she could learn to be the mother she needed to become even if she shouldn’t adventure for awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it; I've only cranked up the emotional turmoil dial...
> 
> It's important for your characters to make mistakes and have consequences for them, you know? Several quests do have you make dumb decisions/mistakes anyway--it'd be boring for the hero to always make the perfect decision and have everything go absolutely swimmingly!
> 
> Yes, Zaros is certainly concerned about the babies--they're his family too, after all! I don't think he knows how to deal with emotions very well, and that being near Seren is a massive struggle to stay coherent and level-headed--however, I do think he would consider the first Mahjarrat children to be born in centuries significant.
> 
> Writing Seren's reaction was a little tricky since you can't ask her about the Mahjarrat... given how uncomfortable Jaina was getting there, she might well have gotten even more uncomfortable had she stayed longer to ask her about the other gods! Why yes, I do badly want the opportunity to disagree with Guthix in-game proper, whatever makes you notice that?
> 
> Official couple status certainly doesn't mean everything will always be rosy--far from it, every couple will argue or disagree at some point! Just in case, the reason Azzanadra didn't mention Eluned is because he correctly deduced that pregnancy hormones are what's making Jaina act overly irrationally, thus she'd be in no condition to decide another's fate. If her reaction seems odd, well, he did hold and technically still holds a very high-ranking and respectable position of leadership, and someone who grew up in a medieval society would consider it a major taboo to yell at a ruler/monarch or someone with that kind of authority. She doesn't think she isn't allowed to disagree with or question rulers, kings etc, just that she shouldn't do so in anger or rudeness.
> 
> To clarify further: It occurs to me that her reaction immediately after fleeing him could be taken as her rolling over and deferring to Her Man because he can't possibly be wrong. I meant only for her to be hormonally overreacting because, you know, she's freaking out. It would arguably be worse if she had made the "correct" decisions to avoid conflict with him, if you ask me--not only would it be weaker from a story perspective, that would arguably be deference to Her Man rather than making her own decisions.
> 
> I've provided a little insight into what Sliske's motives might be! Here's hoping the audience is kept guessing and in suspense...
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!


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